


Fake

by BearMiya90



Category: Arashi (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-29
Updated: 2020-09-10
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:00:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 22,699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26175364
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BearMiya90/pseuds/BearMiya90
Summary: Someone was interested in Ohno and he wasn't comfortable with her. To help Ohno, Nino lied about their relationship.
Relationships: Ninomiya Kazunari/Ohno Satoshi
Comments: 10
Kudos: 19





	1. Chapter 1

“Congratulations.”

Ninomiya ‘Nino’ Kazunari whispered in his best friend’s ear. His best friend was Ohno Satoshi, a handsome guy who always looked sleepy. He wasn’t sure if Ohno heard what he said or not. The music was too loud and their friends were singing excitedly in the small karaoke room.

“Huh?” Ohno looked at him with his usual blank expression. He tilted his head cutely and Nino smacked his head playfully.

“I said, congratulations,” Nino repeated what he said before. A little louder this time.

“Why?” Ohno asked with the same blank expression.

“I saw you this afternoon...” Nino answered. His friend was too slow sometimes. “... with a cute lady.”

“Oh.” That was Ohno’s short response.

“How could you keep it a secret from me?” Nino pouted. He had been friends with Ohno for a while since he started working. They didn’t work for the same company. Ohno’s office was next to his office. They often come to work around the same time and after seeing each other for a few time, Nino decided to initiate the conversation between them. He felt comfortable talking to Ohno. They were quite similar. Since then they have been friends.

They usually went for lunch together. However, for the past three months, Nino was too busy with his project and he had no time for lunch. Today, he wasn’t busy as always and wanted to surprise Ohno during lunch. But, he was shocked to find Ohno walking out for lunch with a cute lady that he had never seen before.

“Who is she?” He asked again. Ohno seemed uncomfortable to answer.

“She is not my girlfriend if that’s what you think,” Ohno answered after a while. Nino rolled his eyes at Ohno. He didn’t believe what his best friend said. Ohno never went out with a girl before. So, if he went out for lunch with this girl, it had to mean something. However, he couldn't deny that he was relieved to hear that.

“She is a new staff member in the office. She is interested in me and has confessed to me. I rejected her but she didn’t want to give up. I didn’t go out for lunch with her. She followed me.” Ohno explained. “She often thinks of herself as my girlfriend. She is like a psychopath and it creeps me out.”

Nino laughed at his friend’s complaint. His friend was too kind. Maybe he didn’t reject her properly and that’s why she continued to go after Ohno. It’s hard to believe that the girl was a psychopath. She looked harmless when Nino saw her earlier.

“Oops, sorry.” He stopped laughing when he noticed Ohno’s pout. “Did you reject her properly?”

“Yes, but she doesn’t understand. I keep telling her to stay away from me but she keeps following me.” Ohno looked at him with a troubled expression, something that he rarely saw on his friend’s face. Seemed like this new lady made him uncomfortable and Nino felt guilty for laughing at him earlier. “What should I do, Nino?”

“Well…” Nino tried to think of a way to help his friend. But, before he could think of anything, Aiba suddenly pulled both Ohno and him. Aiba wanted them to join him singing with Sho and Jun.

“Let’s sing with us!” Aiba said enthusiastically. “It will sound better when the five of us sing together.”

Nino cast one last look at Ohno. Ohno’s troubled face earlier was quickly replaced with his usual blank expression. Nino looked at him with sympathy. His friend was too nice and that’s why people sometimes took advantage of him. He didn’t know how Ohno rejected the lady but it was clear that she didn’t take him seriously. That’s why Nino had to think of something to save his friend.

“Ninomiya san, can you please check my report?” Nana, one of the staff under his supervision, put a document on his table. It was a report that he had asked her to do this morning. He liked her work ethics. It was easier to do his work because he had a reliable staff like her under him.

“Sure. I will check it later.” Nino said, looking back at his computer screen.

“It’s almost lunchtime,” Nana told him. “Why don’t we go for lunch together?”

Nino glanced at the watch. Yes, as Nana said, it was almost time for lunch. But, he still wanted to finish his work before he ate.

“Just go first.” He told Nana. Eyes still on the computer screen. “I have work to do.”

“Okay.” Nana left shortly after. The other workers also left, leaving him alone in the office. He sighed in relief. To be honest, he preferred working when there was no one around. It was easier to do his work.

“Ninomiya san, have you eaten?” Not long after that, Nana appeared once again at his table.

“No, what time is it?” He glanced at his watch and noticed it was already the end of lunchtime. No wonder he was hungry. He didn’t notice the time because he was too focused on his work.

“You’re a workaholic, Ninomiya san. You should take a rest sometimes.” Nana told him before she went back to her worktable. Nino stood up from his table and decided to make a cup of ramen for himself to eat. As he waited for the ramen to be ready, he looked at his phone.

“Shit!” He cursed. He finally remembered what he wanted to do today when he looked at his phone’s wallpaper. It was a picture of Ohno when he was a kid. Ohno was bald in the picture and he thought Ohno was really cute. That’s why he made the picture as his wallpaper.

He intended to have lunch with Ohno today. He wanted to make sure the girl would stop disturbing his best friend. Unfortunately, he forgot about the plan because of his work. Even though he knew Ohno already had his lunch, he called the other guy. Ohno picked up the call almost immediately.

“Kazu,” Ohno said. Nino smiled to himself. He loved the way Ohno called his first name, something that Ohno seldom did. Usually, Ohno would call him Nino.

“What are you doing, Samii?” He asked. Samii was the nickname he created for Ohno. He liked to create a nickname for his friends.

“Working, of course,” Ohno answered. “Kazu, are you eating ramen again for lunch?”

“Yes.”

“It’s not healthy, you know. You should get a proper meal.” Ohno lectured him.

“How about you? Do you eat properly?” Nino asked, ignoring Ohno’s lecture.

“Yes, someone makes sure of that,” Ohno answered. Nino could sense how uncomfortable he was so that someone must be the new girl. “Nino, I have to go now. Talk to you later.”

Both of them said goodbye to each other before the call ended. He looked at his phone and set an alarm for the time to go home. No matter what he had to go home on time so that he could talk to the girl who had claimed his best friend as her boyfriend.

“Okay, guys, I’m going home first,” Nino told his colleagues. Everyone looked at him with surprise. He seldom went home on time. But, he had planned his work carefully after lunch, ensure to finish all his works with immediate urgency on time. He will continue the rest on Monday.

“Going to a party, Ninomiya san?” Nana asked. He shook his head.

“No. I just have something important to do today.” Nino answered. “Bye, guys.”

When he opened the door, he could see the person he was waiting for. The person wasn’t alone, as he expected. The girl was with him. Nino stood in front of his office, trying to listen to their conversation first. It wasn’t hard, though. The girl was talking loudly.

“Why don’t I follow you home?” the girl asked Ohno. “It’s Friday. I don’t want to spend the night alone.”

From his position, Nino couldn’t see the girl’s face. But, he was pretty sure the girl was doing her best to seduce his best friend with her lewd expression. Thankfully, Ohno shook his head.

“I live with my parents,” Ohno answered. He wanted to move away but the girl stopped him. She gripped Ohno’s hand.

“Then, introduce me to them. I’m your girlfriend, after all.” The girl said.

“You’re not my girlfriend, Imada san.” Ohno slowly tried to free himself from the girl. Yes, Ohno didn’t lie to him. This girl was certainly a psychopath.

“How many times do I have to tell you? Call me Miyuki.”

“Ohchan, sorry you have to wait for me.” Nino came and interrupted the conversation between those two. He pretended to be in a rush when he approached the two of them. He was glad to see how relieved Ohno was to see him.

“It’s okay. I just finished my work too.” Ohno said. Of course, they didn’t plan to meet or anything but Ohno simply acted along with him.

“So, have you decided where we should eat tonight?” He asked, completely ignoring the girl named Imada. She seemed dumbfounded to see him there. Nino took the chance to pull Ohno away from her. But, before they could move, she spoke once again.

“Satoshi Kun, who is this?” Imada asked. Nino wasn’t sure what he felt right now when he heard she shamelessly called Ohno by his first name. But, he was certain, he wasn’t happy to hear that. They just knew each other. Who gave her the permission to call Ohno like that?

“He is my…”

“Satoshi is my boyfriend.” He declared without thinking, earning a gasp from Imada. Beside him, Ohno stiffened.

“No, Satoshi is…”

“I don’t know what makes you think Samii is your boyfriend. I’ve been dating him for a few years now.” Once again, he continued without thinking. “If you don’t believe me, you can ask others. When he first complained to me about you, I thought he was just overreacting. But, now, I know he's telling me the truth. So, please stop flirting with him. He’s mine!”

As it was the end of office hours, there were a few people who watched them. He spotted a few familiar faces. Faces that often teased him and Ohno. Nagase, Ohno’s boss and Ikuta, his colleague grinned looking at them.

“Finally admitting that you guys are dating, ne?” Nagase started and Ikuta nodded his head. Nino had a habit of touching Ohno. It was just natural for him to do so. At the same time, Ohno never pushed him away. Their excessive skinship was the reason for Nagase and Ikuta to tease them. According to them, the way both Nino and Ohno touch each other was too inappropriate between friends.

“Shut up!” He told Nagase and Ikuta. He knew his face was red even without seeing it. Ah, what did he do? He just wanted to tell Imada to stop bothering Ohno. Why did he tell a lie? Stupid mouth. He didn’t expect it to turn out like this.

There’s no doubt that he was embarrassed by what happened. But, it was the least of his concern right now. What he was worried about the most at the moment was Ohno. What would Ohno think of his bluff? What would he do if Ohno was angry at him for lying?

“You heard him.” Ohno suddenly said, surprising him. His voice was calm. “I told you I have someone.”

“I thought you were lying,” Imada mumbled. She was at a loss for words. A small part of him felt sympathy for her but as he remembered how she had caused Ohno to feel uncomfortable, the feeling quickly disappeared.

“Let’s go, Kazu,” Ohno said. He nodded his head and pulled Ohno away from the crowd.

Neither of them talked as he brought Ohno to the car park. Usually, he will take a train to work. But, seeing that he had to go home late sometimes, he decided to drive to work. The silence was killing him. He was afraid of Ohno’s reaction once they were alone. But, he didn’t dare to say anything, afraid that Imada was following them.

“I’m sorry, Ohchan.” He said once they were alone in his car. “I didn’t mean to lie.”

“It’s okay,” Ohno said with a smile. “Thank you for saving me from her.”

“But Nagase kun and Ikuta kun will…”

“They always do that even without your lie. So, it isn’t a big deal for me.” Ohno explained. However, his face suddenly hardened as he continued. “Unless it’s not okay for you.”

Nino quickly shook his head. There’s no doubt that Ohno and he were too close with each other, causing Nagase and Ikuta to call them a couple. Truthfully, he didn’t mind the teasing from both of them. For him, their opinion didn’t matter as long as Ohno was comfortable with him.

“So, there should be no problem, right?” Ohno said. Nino nodded his head.

“Do you have any plans tonight?” Ohno asked. This time, Nino shook his head.

“Then, let’s go to my house.”

“Eh? Do you want to introduce me to your parents as your boyfriend now?” He teased Ohno.

“If you’re okay with it, I don’t....” Ohno played along with his tease. However, his face was once again hardened. Something seemed to catch his attention but before Nino could ask what it was, Ohno suddenly leaned forward and kissed him. It wasn’t just a peck, Ohno was french kissing him. He could feel Ohno’s tongue along his lips, asking for permission to enter. And in the confusion, Nino simply opened his lips to let Ohno in.

After a few minutes, Ohno finally released him to let both of them catch their breath. Both of them stayed silent, there’s only the sound of their breath in the car. Of course, he wanted to ask why Ohno kissed him. But, he didn’t know how to ask.

“I’m sorry.” Ohno was the first one to speak. “I saw Imada san just now.”

Nino gasped in surprise. He looked around but he didn’t see anyone else in the car park.

“She’s not here. I think she left when we’re kissing.” Ohno continued. “Maybe she was spying on us to make sure we’re not lying. I cannot think of anything else and that’s why I kiss you. I’m sorry, Kazu.”

“It’s okay.” No, he wasn’t okay. But, he smiled at Ohno so that his friend wouldn’t know what the kiss made him feel. “You’re a great kisser. I hope I will not get pregnant because of your kiss.”

A joke was always the best way to hide his true feelings. It worked when Ohno chuckled in return before he once again played along with his silly antics.

“Don’t worry. If you get pregnant, I will take responsibility.”

Nino bet his face was once again red. So, he quickly changed the subject. “So, your parents’ house?”

“Yes, they miss you. You haven’t come for a while.”

“Of course they miss me. I’m their best son in law.” Nino said before he started driving. Nino tried to act normally during the ride. However, he couldn't stop thinking about the kiss.

“Kazunari Kun!” Nino smiled when he was warmly greeted by Ohno’s mother as he entered the living room. Mrs Ohno pulled him into a tight hug. Usually, he didn’t like it when someone hugged him. It made him suffocate. But, just like Ohno, he loved when Mrs Ohno embraced him. “Oh, boy, I miss you so much.”

“I’m sorry, Mama. I’m busy with work.” He said after Mrs Ohno released him from the hug. Mrs Ohno had insisted that he called her Mama since the first time they met.

“Busy with work?” Mrs Ohno inquired. There was a glint of mischief in her tone. “Not a lover?”

“No one wants me, Mama.”

“Don’t be silly. Of course, a lot of people want you. You’re a very fine man. But, it will be better if you put on more weight, Kazunari Kun. You’re too skinny.”

“He didn’t eat properly, Mama.” Ohno, who was being silent since their arrival, interrupted. Nino stuck out a tongue at him. “He ate a cup ramen every day.”

Mrs Ohno shot him a playful glare upon hearing what Ohno had said.

“Satoshi, this is your fault! As a friend, you should make sure Kazunari Kun eats properly.” Mrs Ohno reprimanded her son. Nino smirked while Ohno pouted when his mother sided with Nino.

“Not fair! You love Nino more than me.” Ohno said, pretending to be sulking.

“Why is it so noisy?” A familiar voice greeted them from the stairs. All of them turned to look at Mr Ohno who was on his way down. Upon noticing Nino, he smiled warmly, identical to the one Mrs Ohno gave him earlier.

“Kazunari Kun!” He quickened his steps towards Nino and then hugged him. Seeing that, Ohno once again pouted.

“See! That’s why I don’t like to bring him home. Which one is your real son? Me or Nino?” Ohno pretended to be sulking.

“Don’t blame your parents, Ohchan. It’s my fault. I’m so adorable that’s why everyone loves me.” Nino answered causing the others to laugh. Nino smiled in return. He loved Ohno’s family. His parents died when he was very young, leaving him to grow up in an orphanage with Aiba. He never knew how wonderful it was to have a family, not until he met Ohno. Ohno and his family had treated him like he was a part of their family and he was forever thankful for that.


	2. Chapter 2

Nino woke up at noon the next day. Mrs Ohno had insisted for him to stay over but Nino refused her. If he stayed over, he will sleep in Ohno's room. After their kiss yesterday, he didn't trust himself to be alone with Ohno. 

He didn't go straight to bed once he was home. Instead, he played games first. The reason? Each time he closed his eyes, his mind would automatically remember the way Ohno's lips moving against him. So, he played games to distract himself from thinking about Ohno. 

He probably went to sleep around 4 AM. He didn't sleep on his bed. Instead, he slept in the living room without switching off his console. He must be too tired at that time. But, luckily, he woke up around 5:30 AM to switch it off before he dragged his lazy ass to the bedroom. 

Now that he had woken up, he once again thought about Ohno. Seriously, what he did yesterday was stupid. Why did he do that, though? He must be crazy to declare Ohno as his boyfriend. Ohno said he was okay with it but there were too many things to think about. For example, how long are they going to pretend to be a couple? How should they pretend to be a couple? Was continuing to act as they usually did enough to prove that they’re together? And, the most important question was, will Imada believe them and stop harassing Ohno? She’s the reason this whole thing started, after all. 

Nino shook his head, refusing to think about this yet. He will figure something about it later. The best thing to do right now is to play games. He should take his bath before starting his gaming marathon. But first, let’s check the newspaper and his mails. He hadn’t checked his mailbox for three days now. Who knows what important things could be in there? 

So, he went outside to check those things. Nothing important was in his mailbox. Mostly there were bills and pamphlets. But, there was something that caught his attention. An envelope. There was no name on the envelope neither was there any indication that it had gone through the postal service. Did someone intentionally leave this envelope in his mailbox? Or maybe it was wrongly put in his mailbox? Hmm.. he had a bad feeling as he examined the envelope. 

He went inside to open the envelope. There was only a sheet of paper in it. Immediately, he recognized it as a threatening letter. Someone cut letters from newspaper and pasted it on the paper to form a sentence that read: LEAVE HIM!!!

Eh? Was this letter real? Or was it a joke? Who dared to threaten him? Why would anyone do that? He rarely argues with anyone. 

But, a face suddenly popped out in his mind. Imada. If there’s anyone who would hate him right now, it would be her. Furthermore, what was written on the paper made sense. She wants him to leave Ohno. But, would she do that? He knew Ohno had said she was a psychopath but he didn’t think she will go as far as threatening someone just because she was rejected. 

Maybe this was just a prank, he calmed himself. There’s nothing to panic about. For the time being, he will just ignore the letter. He left the paper on the table with the rest of his mail and newspaper. It’s time to take a shower. 

When he finished showering and was drying his body, someone rang the bell. He looked at the intercom and saw Aiba with Sho and Jun behind him. Why was this bouncy sunshine here, he wondered? He opened the door even though he was just wearing his towel around the waist. It’s just his friends. They had seen him like this a few times before. 

Stupid decision. He should wear his clothes first before he opened the door.

Because... when he opened the door, the small figure of Ohno Satoshi came strolling in behind Sho. And even though Ohno had seen him in the same state before, he felt naked standing in front of Ohno with just a towel.

Why didn't he see Ohno in the intercom? It must be because Ohno hid behind Sho who is much bigger than him.

"Both of you, please stop staring at each other," Jun said, making Nino realized that there were other people with him right now. "You guys look like a pervert staring at each other like that, especially with Nino half-naked here." 

Nino narrowed his eyes at Jun. Among his close friends, Jun was the one who loved to tease his relationship with Ohno the most. Usually, Nino would be extra lovey-dovey with Ohno just to annoy Jun. But, today he was in no mood to do so. Not when his heart was beating faster than usual.

"Geez, I will put on some clothes. Make yourself at home." He left the four of them in the living room and walked towards his bedroom. 

While he was looking for clothes to wear, someone knocked on his door. 

"Yes?"

"Nino…" Ohno's soft voice answered. His heart stopped beating for a second to hear the voice. "Can we talk for a while?"

"Sure. I will be out in a minute. Just wait for me in the living room."

"But I want to talk with you alone." 

"Eh?" What should he do? He didn't want to be alone with Ohno. Not right now. Not when he couldn't figure out what was wrong with him since the kiss. 

But.. they needed to talk. He had to talk with Ohno about the things he was worried about. Furthermore, he didn’t want Ohno to think he was avoiding him.

"Okay, wait first." He decided.

Nino immediately pulled out a t-shirt and a pair of shorts to wear. Then, he opened the door. 

"What do you…" 

"Nino, what is this?" Before Nino could ask, Sho interrupted them. Jun and Aiba trailing behind him. All of them seemed worried. Nino looked at them confusedly before Sho shoved the paper from earlier to him. Damn! He should throw the paper. Now, the mother hen will start asking questions.

"I don't know." He answered. It's the truth. He didn't know why someone sent him that letter. Of course, his lack of interest annoyed Sho.

"Don't you want to know who the sender is?" Sho asked again. Nino shook his head. He didn't like the way the others were looking at him. He knew they were worried but he's an adult. There's nothing to be worried about. 

"It's because of me…" Everyone's attention shifted to Ohno. Damn, once again Nino cursed when he saw Ohno hold the paper. From his expression, it was evident he had drawn the same conclusion as Nino. The paper was from Imada. She threatened Nino because of their fake relationship.

"Excuse me?" Sho asked. He looked intently at Ohno, expecting him to elaborate. 

“Imada san… She is crazy." Ohno started to ramble before Nino could stop him. “Nino told her we’re dating and she is angry. The letter must be from her.” 

“WHAT?” Aiba and Sho said together, clearly surprised. “YOU’RE DATING?” 

“Geez…” Jun said, shaking his head because of Aiba’s and Sho’s reaction. “Why are you surprised? It's obvious they're dating."

Ignoring Jun, Aiba approached Nino with a pout and then he started to whine. "How could you! We promised to tell each other about this!"

Nino could only sigh, feeling annoyed because Aiba chose this moment to talk about their childhood promise. Of course, he will tell Aiba if he's dating someone. But, he wasn't dating anyone right now. It was just a lie. A lie he created because he was stupid. 

"How long have you guys been dating?" Sho's turn to ask questions. 

Nino rolled his eyes in disbelief. Seriously, he could understand if Aiba was distracted by the news. But, for Sho to be focusing on their dating news… that's unbelievable. 

"You guys can ask for details about their relationship later," Jun said. He's the only one who wasn't affected by what Ohno said. The only one who was smart enough to realize why Ohno said the threatening letter was his mistake. "So, you suspect this Imada threatened Nino because she likes you and is jealous to know you're with Nino." 

"Yes." Ohno nodded his head eagerly. "She is a psycho." 

"And we're not dating!" Nino blurted out, feeling the need to clarify the matter to his close friends. Three pairs of eyes automatically looked at him with confusion so he immediately continued. "She has been harassing Ohchan. I told her we're dating so that she will stop flirting with Ohchan."

"Oh, really?" Jun gave him a smirk. He took out his phone before shoving it to Nino. "Explain this picture then."

Nino's eyes widened as he looked at the picture Jun was showing him. It was a picture from yesterday. A picture of him and Ohno kissing in the car. Ohno stood beside him to look at the picture and Nino could feel the other guy stiffened next to him, equally shocked to know Jun had a picture of them kissing. 

"There's a video too," Jun said, taking the phone from them. Then, he shoved it again, showing a video of them kissing this time. 

"How did you get that?" Nino asked as Jun took the phone away from him when Aiba and Sho tried to look at it. Even though Jun didn't let him watch the whole video, he felt uncomfortable with what he saw. Ohno, who was next to him, stayed quiet and he wondered what he was thinking about. 

"Ikuta Kun," Jun answered simply. Ah, that made sense. Ikuta and Jun were friends. Ikuta might have seen them yesterday. Knowing Ikuta, it wasn't a surprise if he recorded the video. He's a pervert. "They aren't photoshopped, right?"

Neither Nino nor Ohno answered him. Both of them looked at each other and seeing how red Ohno's cheeks were, Nino was positive that his cheeks were similar. Their silence gave Jun the confirmation and satisfaction he needed as he smirked at them. 

"What did you show them?" Aiba asked. Jun smiled teasingly before he gave his phone to Aiba. Sho scooted closer to him.

Their reaction upon seeing the video was too comical. Usually, Nino would make fun of Sho and Aiba. But, he was too embarrassed to do so because it was his video both of them were watching. Both Aiba and Sho widened their eyes in surprise. Sho looked away but Nino noticed how he would subtly glance at the video. Aiba, on the other hand, watched the video with interest. Pervert. Nino snatched the phone from Aiba angrily. He deleted the video before handing the phone to Jun.

"Hey, I haven't finished…" Aiba whined. Nino simply glared at him to make him stop.

"So, you guys are dating," Sho stated matter-of-factly. Nino quickly shook his head before he explained.

"As I said, she was harassing Ohchan and I told her we're dating to make her stop. It's just a lie."

"But, the kiss…"

"Ohchan saw Imada in the car park. Maybe she was there to make sure we're not lying. That's why Ohchan kissed me."

"That was intense," Aiba commented. Nino ignored him. 

"Look, guys." Nino began. He needed them to stop talking about the kiss. "There's nothing to be worried about. I don't think Imada send the letter. She doesn't know where I live."

"But, she could follow you home." Sho pointed out. Nino only shook his head. Of course, he had thought of that. Yes, she could follow him home but...

"Not everyone can get into the building, right?" Nino reasoned. "You can get in because I gave the access card and keys to Aiba chan in case of emergency. She could follow me but she cannot enter the building and put the letter in my mailbox." 

Everyone looked thoughtful for a while before they nodded their head in unison. Everyone except Sho.

"Unless she lives here." Sho gave him a worried look. Nino rolled his eyes at Sho. Leave it to Sho to think of every possibility. What a worrywart his friend was. 

"No, she doesn’t live here." Ohno quickly denied. "She told me where it is. I don't remember but I know it isn't here because I remember thinking that her house is far from Nino's when she told me about it."

Nino sighed in relief. There. Ohno had given Sho a reason to stop worrying. 

“See… She cannot enter this building. So, it’s not her.” Nino said, hoping Sho will stop talking about this.

“But, Nino, this is not something that you should take lightly. We have to investigate this.” Sho said, obviously refused to give up. 

“It’s nothing, okay. It’s just a prank. Maybe one of the kids put the letter in everyone’s mailbox for fun.”

“But…” 

“Don’t worry, okay. I’ll be careful. But, I’m sure it’s nothing.” Nino said. Of course, it wasn’t enough to convince Sho and the others. “So, why are you guys here?” 

He quickly changed the topic. Even though his friends looked at him with dissatisfaction, they silently agreed to stop talking about the letter. 

“We’re here to make sure you’re okay,” Jun answered. “Ohchan said you’re not eating properly ever since you started working on your current project. So, I come here to cook for you.”

“Awwww, that’s so sweet of you, Jun pon,” Nino said. He loved the way Jun narrowed his eyes because of the nickname. His friend hated the name. “Ohchan is exaggerating. I am fine. I eat properly.” 

“Really?” Jun said, clearly doubtful by what he had said. “I’ve checked your kitchen, Nino. There’s nothing edible here.” 

Nino silently cursed. He had narrowly escaped a mother hen, only to be interrogated by another mother hen. 

But, it wasn't something to be complained about. He was truly blessed to have people who cared for him even though it's suffocating sometimes when they worried too much about him.

"I will do my groceries later."

"How about now?" Jun said. "I want to cook for you today so let's do groceries."

"Huh?" Nino didn't agree yet but Jun and Aiba had already dragged him outside.

Nino found himself smiling as he stared at the sleeping Ohno on the couch. As always, he couldn’t bring himself to wake the guy up. Aiba, Jun and Sho had just left his house, leaving Ohno behind because none of them wanted to disturb Ohno. Well, that was what they said. However, Nino knew they had a hidden agenda for leaving Ohno and him alone in the house. 

While he was dragged to the nearby supermarket by Jun and Aiba, Ohno had stayed at his home with Sho. Well, he had to thank them for cleaning the house for him while he was out. His hunch told him that Sho had used the chance to talk with Ohno about their fake relationship, just like what Aiba and Jun did to him. The grocery shopping was just an excuse to separate the two of them. Before they went to the supermarket, both of them brought him to a cafe. As he hadn't eaten yet, he didn't refuse them even though he knew they’re going to interrogate him.

“You like him, right?” Jun began after the waiter took their order. 

“Of course!” Nino answered lazily. “He’s my friend.” 

Jun rolled his eyes at him before he continued. 

“Okay. You know what I mean right?” Jun retorted. “You love Ohchan, right?” 

Nino was ready to agree, telling Jun that he loves Ohno as a friend. But, Jun quickly continued without giving him a chance to answer. 

“I don’t mean as a friend.” 

He chose to ignore Jun, only to be persuaded by Aiba to answer the same question. 

"He is just a friend, guys. I'm just helping him." 

"By pretending to be his boyfriend?" Jun said sceptically. 

"If he has a boyfriend, the psycho will stop bothering him." He tried to justify his decision. 

"Okay, let's try this. If I am in the same situation, will you do the same thing? Will you pretend to be my boyfriend?" 

"Heck, no!" Nino quickly shook his head. He couldn't imagine having Jun as his boyfriend, even as a fake one. 

When he looked at his friends, both of them were smirking. That's when he realized it was a trap. Damn! Ah, why was he so stupid? 

"You're not Ohchan. If you say you're not interested, she will stop bothering you. You're scary. Ohchan is not like that." He quickly made an excuse to justify his answer.

Jun smirked at him, an indication that he didn’t believe him at all.

"Okay, how about me then?" Aiba asked with his stupid idiot grin. Ah, another trap question. He wanted to say yes but no, it's impossible to do so. As he remained quiet, Aiba continued. "Will you let me kiss you to prove that we're dating?"

"Euwww.. no." It was too gross, trying to imagine both of them kissing. However, Aiba didn't seem to be offended by his answer. 

"So, you see what we're trying to prove here?" Jun asked. Both Aiba and Jun smirked at him, making him even more annoyed at them. 

"Ninomiya san!" Nino blinked when someone called him. He lifted his face to see Nana smiling at him. He returned the smile, feeling happy to have a distraction from Jun and Aiba. 

"Good afternoon, Nana. Are you here for lunch?" He asked her. 

"Yes." She nodded her head. "I've just finished my lunch. Hmm…"

She started fidgeting as if she had something to ask but was afraid to do so.

"Is everything okay?" He asked softly, hoping to ease her. 

"Yes… it's just… I overheard your conversation." She said. Nino started to feel uncomfortable, knowing perfectly well what she heard. He knew she wasn't the type of person to gossip but what if she accidentally told someone else about his lie? "So, what happened yesterday was just a ruse?"

"Please don't tell anyone else." He pleaded. She only smiled reassuringly at him.

"Don't worry. Your secret is safe with me." She told him, zipping her mouth to show that she can be trusted. "There's nothing between you and Ohno san, right?"

"Yes, we're just friends."

"Okay, then. I shall take my leave. See you on Monday." Nana said, smiling at him and his friends. 

After she left, Nino looked at Jun and Aiba, who seemed to stare at Nana's retreating figure with interest.

"She's cute, right?" He teased his friends. "I think she is still single. If you want, I could introduce you to her."

Jun wanted to retort, but the waiter arrived with their food so he stayed silent. Once the waiter left, he once again talked about Ohno. 

“Are you sure you don’t have any feelings for Ohchan?” Jun asked. Nino didn’t answer him with words. He just looked at Jun with annoyance, hoping his expression was enough. 

“Nino…” Aiba called him softly. “I know I am an idiot..”

“Of course you are.”

“But, right now, I think you are the stupid one.” Aiba continued, ignoring Nino’s remark. “From what I see, the two of you love each other. Jun and Sho also notice that. Don’t lie, but I’m sure the kiss makes you feel something, right?”

“It makes you realize that you want to be kissed by Ohno again and perhaps more than that?” Jun added. 

Nino tried to avoid looking at them. He only stared at his food and continued eating, pretending to ignore his friends. He didn’t want to admit that they’re right. But, both of them laughed loudly because of his reaction. 

“You guys are crazy.” He scolded them. 

“Well, we might be crazy but we’re not stupid. You know your feelings. Better do something before you lose him.” Jun advised. None of them talked about the matter again for the rest of the afternoon. 

They went to the supermarket after lunch and then headed to his house, spending the whole evening by playing Aiba’s stupid board game. After they’d had enough fun and laughter because of the game, Jun decided to prepare dinner for all of them. He was glad Ohno volunteered to help Jun. At least, it gave him some time away from Ohno. 

After dinner, they watched a movie together. Ohno had fallen asleep at that time because he was too tired. At first, Nino thought that all of his friends will sleep in his house. However, when they finished watching the movie at 11, Aiba, Jun and Sho announced that they’re going home. Ah, he should know that they’re going to trick him. 

Ohno snored softly, putting an end to his thoughts. He put a blanket on Ohno before preparing a futon for himself on the floor. He fell asleep almost quickly while remembering the kiss with Ohno yesterday.


	3. Chapter 3

Nino woke up when he heard noises from the kitchen. He looked around the room, noticing that it was already morning. He quickly stood up, wanting to know what had caused the noise. Was there someone else in the house with him? 

He crept towards the kitchen, didn’t want the intruder to notice him. Someone was singing and cooking in the kitchen. The voice belonged to a male. A voice that he recognized. Ohchan? Why was he in his house?

And then his mind slowly replayed what happened yesterday. His friends had visited his house. But, they left Ohno because he was sleeping. 

“Ah, you’ve woken up!” Ohno greeted him with a smile. A dazzling smile. Nino thought to himself, it will be nice to wake up looking at Ohno’s smile every day. “I hope you don’t mind I invade your kitchen. I want to make breakfast for us.” 

Nino didn’t say anything. Once again, he thought of how nice it was to have Ohno cooking for him every day. He took a seat and watched Ohno moving around the kitchen with ease. Hmmm… what a nice view! If he asked Ohno to stay with him, will he say yes? 

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Ohno smiled softly, presenting him with cheese and ham omelette on the table. He pinched Nino’s nose playfully. Their faces were too close and Nino quickly averted his gaze towards the dish on the table. It looked delicious. He took the first bite and moaned because of how tasty it was. 

“It’s delicious.” He exclaimed as Ohno took a seat opposite him. He was surprised when Ohno lightly stroked his hand. It wasn’t the first time for Ohno to do that but he didn’t know why it felt different this time. His heart started to beat even faster when Ohno gave him another breathtaking smile. 

“Hey…” Ohno began. “Do you remember that I want to tell you something yesterday?”

Nino nodded his head. Of course, he remembered. They didn’t have the time to talk about it yet after Sho interrupted them. He wondered what it was about.

“So, I’ve been thinking about this for a while….” Ohno said, still stroking his hand. 

“About what?” Nino gathered his courage to ask because he was impatient to know. Ohno seemed to take his own sweet time to continue, which annoyed Nino. 

“About my feelings,” Ohno answered simply. Nino opened his mouth slightly, wondering what Ohno meant by that. “I think I’m in love.” 

Ohno’s in love with someone? Who is that person? Why did he want the lucky person to be him? 

“After thinking about it carefully, I decided to confess.” Ohno continued. Nino gulped, waiting anxiously for Ohno to announce the name of the person he’s in love with. “I want you to be the first person to know. I love Miyuki chan.”

Eh? 

“Imada san?” Nino asked for clarification. Ohno nodded his head, slowly letting go of his hand. Nino flinched because of the action, hoping Ohno would never let go of his hand.

“We don’t have to pretend anymore.” Ohno continued with a bright smile. Why? It hurts so much to hear that. It felt like there’s a big hole in his heart right now. No, maybe not a big hole. His heart was shattered to know Ohno love Imada. If his friend loves her, why did he avoid her in the first place?

Someone rang the bell, surprising him. Ohno quickly went to answer the door. The next thing he knew, Imada stood next to Ohno. She smirked at Nino.

“Bye, Kazu,” Ohno said. Both of them turned around, leaving him alone. 

He tried to scream but nothing came out. For the first time in his life, he was so devastated. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Nino opened his eyes when he felt someone shook his body. He opened his eyes, wanting to yell at the person. However, when he did so, he was surprised to see Ohno staring at him weirdly. Eh? What happened? Didn’t Ohno just leave him with Imada? 

He looked around, noticing it was still dark and he was on the futon. Crap! He finally realized what happened. It was just a dream. Oh, thank God it wasn’t real. He couldn’t imagine a life without Ohno. 

“Are you okay, Nino?” Ohno asked. “You were screaming my name just now.”

“Eh? What did I scream?” He asked, hoping he didn’t say something stupid. 

“Ohchan, don’t leave me,” Ohno answered. Nino smiled a bit, watching the way Ohno imitated him. “A nightmare? What is it? You were chased by a monster? Don’t worry, I will protect you.” 

Nino didn’t answer him. Ohno didn’t have to know that his nightmare was worse than what Ohno had said. 

“How could I leave you, Nino. It’s already 3 AM. Even if I want to go home, there’s no train and I don’t drive.” 

It took Nino a minute to understand what Ohno was talking about. He was making a joke. A very bad joke. 

“That’s lame, Ohchan.” He laughed. But, it was just for a while. He had a slight headache and his body didn’t feel well. Ohno seemed to notice and immediately put his hand on Nino’s forehead. 

“Hmm... You have a fever, Kazu. You shouldn’t sleep here. Let’s go to your room.” Nino nodded his head. He was about to stand when Ohno suddenly picked him up. He wanted to protest at first but it felt so comfortable to be carried by Ohno. Without thinking, he wrapped his arms around Ohno’s neck and put his head on Ohno’s shoulder. 

“You’re so light, Nino. I think it’s because you don’t eat properly.” Ohno lectured him as he placed Nino on the bed. 

“Urgh… I don’t need another lecture.” He pouted. Ohno smiled softly as he tucked him in. Before he could leave the room, Nino stopped him. 

“It’s cold.” He complained. Ohno shook his head before climbing the bed to sleep beside him. It wasn’t the first time they sleep on the same bed, but it certainly felt different than before. 

“Good night, Kazu,” Ohno said, putting a kiss on his forehead. Nino only hummed in return. 

It would be great if Ohno is his boyfriend, that was his last thought before sleep claimed him. 

  
  
  
  
  
  


“See you at lunch, I think?” Ohno asked when they arrived at work on Monday. His fake boyfriend had stayed over at his house longer than he expected. As Nino wasn’t feeling well, Ohno had decided to take care of him and had asked Sho to bring his work suit so that he can go to the office from Nino’s house on Monday. 

“Hmm.. okay. But, you have to remind me.” 

“Of course,” Ohno responded, pinching his nose playfully, just like in his dream. The action reminded him that they hadn’t talked about what Ohno wanted to tell him on Saturday yet. He had asked about it yesterday. However, Ohno dismissed him, telling him that they will talk about it after Nino recovered from his fever. Hmmm… Maybe, Ohno will talk about it during lunch today. 

They heard someone coughing behind them and both of them turned around to face the newcomer. It was Imada. She smiled at Ohno before turning her attention to Nino. She gave him a look of disgust before she walked away. 

“Let me know if she bothers you, okay?” He told Ohno, who just gave him a reassuring smile. 

“See you later.” He said. Before he could walk away, Ohno stopped him with a kiss on his forehead. His eyes widened with the sudden action but of course, he couldn’t push Ohno away. It wasn’t because of their fake dating situation. It’s because he loves having Ohno’s lips there. 

“Thank you,” Ohno whispered before slowly letting him go. He only nodded his head and then he walked towards his office. 

“Nino, your face is so red!” Ikuta greeted him when he entered the office. He ignored him, going straight to his place. But, Ikuta,  _ being Ikuta _ , followed him. 

“I’m so angry at you, Nino.” Ikuta started whining. Nino shook his head, not in the mood to entertain his colleague. “How could you keep it a secret from me?”

Ikuta kept babbling, expecting a response from him. Nino continued to ignore him. However, when he mentioned Jun, Nino remembered the video and picture that Jun showed him before. 

“Give me your phone.” He said. Ikuta looked at him weirdly but did as he was told because of his scary face. After asking Ikuta to unlock his phone, Nino deleted the video and pictures of him and Ohno kissing. 

“Why do you delete them?”

“Why do you have them?”

“For reference.”

Nino snorted hearing the response before he chased Ikuta away from him. He had tonnes of work to do. It wasn’t the time to let Ikuta bother him. 

He kept working without looking at the time, not until someone called him. He looked at the caller id and noticed it was Ohno. 

“Hi.” He answered. Eyes still at the computer screen. 

“Busy?” Ohno asked him. 

“Yes. Why do you call?” He heard Ohno chuckle from the end of the line before he answered. 

“Lunch break, Kazu. Let’s eat.” Ohno informed him. Nino glanced at the clock and as Ohno had said, it’s already time for lunch. He looked around the office and it’s almost empty. 

“Okay, I’ll be there in five minutes,” Nino said. He saved his work and then stood up to leave the office. 

When he went outside, Ohno was already waiting for him. He gulped as he looked at the way Ohno stood while checking his phone. Ohno looks so dazzling. He is a nice and sweet man. Anyone who gets him will be so lucky.

It wasn't the first time they went out for lunch together. But, he was so nervous and he had no idea why he would feel so. It didn't help when Ohno lifted his face and smiled when he noticed Nino. He walked towards Nino and put a kiss on his forehead once he was nearer. 

Nino hoped he didn't blush. He heard Ikuta whistling from behind but he didn't say anything to tease them when Nino gave him a murderous look. 

"Why do you look at him like that?" Ohno asked with a chuckle. 

"Why do you love to kiss my forehead?" He asked another question instead. 

"Why do you ask? Do you wish for me to kiss somewhere else?" 

Nino chose to ignore the question, afraid of what he might answer. Taking advantage of his silence, Ohno closed the distance between them until their faces were mere inches apart. Nino could only blink his eyes when Ohno kept getting closer. He shut his eyes, half expecting to be kissed. However, Ohno didn't kiss his lips. He only kissed the tip of his nose. 

"Let's go," Ohno said, holding his hand tightly as he led the way. Nino simply followed but as he looked in front of them, he noticed Imada was nearby. Oh, no wonder Ohno kissed him just now. Disappointment started to fill his heart, knowing that the intimate action from before was only an act. 

They went to eat at the usual cafe. A few of their coworkers were there and they only smiled sheepishly at them. Heck, even a few waitresses were giving them a teasing look, showing that the news of Ohno and Nino dating had reached the cafe. 

Both of them ate in silence as they usually did. To be honest, Nino wanted to ask Ohno the things that he wanted to talk about on Saturday, but he didn't know how to ask. So, he decided to stay quiet during lunch. 

After eating, both of them walked together to the office, still holding hands. He could hear people cooed as they left the cafe but he ignored them. All he thought about was how long they are going to keep this act. Thank God there was no one else waiting for the elevator. At least, they could stop pretending for a while. 

"How is your fever?" Ohno asked as they entered the elevator. 

"It's gone, I guess." He answered. Ohno put his free hand on Nino's forehead. 

"It isn't hot anymore." Ohno removed the hand before he asked worriedly. "How about your headache?"

"I'm okay," Nino answered, pushing Ohno away from him. He felt uneasy. He wanted to let his doubt disappear. Yes, Ohno is always caring towards him. But, what if he's doing it now because of their situation?

"Are you okay, Nino?" 

"Ohchan…" He didn't know how to ask. "Hmmm.. I have something to ask. But, I don't know how."

Ohno smiled softly. He pulled Nino closer and lightly caressed Nino's back. He knew Ohno did so to comfort him but he didn't know why he was annoyed with it. Maybe because the voice in his head was telling him it was just an act. So, he wiggled himself free from Ohno. His action seemed to hurt Ohno. 

"We're alone right now. You don't have to pretend." 

"But, I'm not pretending." Ohno quickly denied. He was surprised with the response but it didn't stop him from feeling hopeful. However, the voice in his head was still trying to make him feel worried. 

Ohno, on the other hand, knew exactly how to respond. He took Nino's hand in his before kissing it softly. The voice was getting softer now because of the action. He looked at Ohno, hoping his friend will clear the doubt he had. 

"You were faster than me. Actually, I want to tell Imada san the same thing. I'm sorry if I take advantage of our situation to do things that I've been dreaming to do with you." Nino gulped because of Ohno's intense stare as he said that. It didn't sound that bad, right? "I want you to be my boyfriend.  _ My real boyfriend _ ."

Is that a confession? He wanted to ask. However, the elevator door opened and a few people came in so he couldn't say anything. Ohno tightened his hold on Nino's and it was enough to tell him, the confession wasn’t his imagination. 

They quickly left the elevator once they reached their intended level. Ohno was still holding his hand. Before they parted ways in front of Ohno's office, Ohno whispered in his ear. 

"Let's talk about this after work, okay? I hope you don't mind if I sleep at your house again tonight." 

Nino only nodded his head. He couldn't help but feel excited for tonight. Ohno leaned closer before he kissed Nino's lips this time. Nino was surprised initially but he quickly responded. The kiss made him forget how disappointed he was when Ohno didn't kiss him before. 

"I love you," Ohno said as he let him go slowly. Nino tried to respond but no words came out of him. Ohno only shook his head with a smile. He kissed Nino's forehead before Nino took his leave. He was happy that Imada was nowhere to be seen, knowing that what Ohno did wasn't because of their situation.

  
  
  
  
  
  


Damn! Nino cursed when his boss informed him of the last minute appointment with a client at 5 PM. He had planned to go home on time today because of Ohno. But, knowing the customer, it will be impossible to do so. 

He decided to take a break and texted Ohno.

_ Hey, are you busy right now? _

A reply came after a few minutes.

_ Not really. Why? _

_ Can you go outside for a while? _

_ Sure. _

Nino smiled to himself and then went out of the office to meet Ohno. Ohno wasn't there yet so he texted Ohno, telling him to meet at the rooftop. 

The rooftop was empty when he arrived. He smiled fondly, reminiscing how he used to spend his break here when he started working. 

"It's weird to see you slacking off during work." Ohno's soft voice greeted him. Ohno stood behind him and wrapped his arms around Nino's waist. 

"I just need a little break and fresh air." He informed Ohno. 

"Will you go home on time today?" Ohno asked, reminding Nino the real reason he asked Ohno to come out. He took his house key and access card from his pocket, handing them to Ohno. Ohno looked at him with understanding but he still wanted to explain. 

"I have a meeting with a client at 5. He is very meticulous. There's no way it will be finished by 6. So, you go to my house and make dinner for me, okay?" 

He pleaded with his puppy eyes. Ohno shook his head and then playfully pinched his nose, as he always did since their fake dating situation. 

"Okay. Anything for you, Kazu. Text me when you're done with the meeting." 

He nodded his head. Both of them turned around when they heard noises but there was no one on the rooftop except them. Hmmm… maybe that person left the rooftop when he or she noticed them. 

"Shall we get back?" He asked. Ohno simply answered with a chaste kiss on his lips. Nino responded with a smile before both of them returned to their office. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


The meeting ended around 7 PM. However, before Nino could go home, there were a few things he had to do as a follow up for the meeting. It was already 8 PM by the time he completed his work. As he left the office, he sent a text to Ohno, informing him that he was on his way home. 

_ Yeah!! Get home quickly! I miss you so much!  _

Was this a dream? He asked himself. He couldn't believe that he's dating Ohno. It's too surreal. But, he knew it really happened. He should thank Imada. If she didn't shamelessly declare Ohno as her boyfriend, it will take him forever to realize his feelings for Ohno.

Refused to waste his time, he quickened his pace to the car park. As expected, the car park was empty with only his car there. However, he didn't feel like he was alone. Someone was watching him. 

As he was getting nearer to his car, there were footsteps following him. It was faint at first but it's getting louder as time passed. He listened to the steps carefully as he walked. High heels. A woman was following him. What should he do? Should he confront her?

He turned around. Imada stood in front of him with a smile on her face and a knife in her hand. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do you think they're moving too fast with their relationship?


	4. Chapter 4

“What do you want, Imada?” Nino yelled, eyeing the knife in her hand. “Put the knife away.”

“I want to know the truth.” Imada pointed the knife towards Nino before she shortened the distance between them. “Are you really dating Satoshi?”

Nino chose to stay silent. She wasn’t in her right mind. Anything that he said would only make her furious.

“I know both of you are lying.” She yelled at him in frustration. “It’s a lie. You’re just pretending to be his boyfriend. I have never seen you with him before this. But, suddenly, you appear and claim to be his boyfriend. No! You must be lying.” 

“Please calm…” She lunged towards him with her knife. Thankfully, Nino was faster than her and successfully dodged her. She lost her balance and stumbled forward, accidentally letting go of the knife. Nino took the chance to throw the knife far from them. 

Imada looked at him with an unreadable expression. Both of them stared at each other. Imada was the first to break the stare. She covered her face and then he heard her sobbing. Nino scratched his head, not sure what to do. He approached her and sat next to her. 

“I’m sorry.” He told her. The way she cried made him feel guilty for lying. Yes, she might have been wrong for what she did to Ohno, but it was still wrong for him to lie about their status. 

“You don’t have to apologize. It’s my fault. I shouldn’t do that to Ohno san.” She said, finally calm down after crying for a long time. “I never get rejected before. So, it’s hard for me to accept that he doesn’t love me.”

“You cannot force someone to love you, Imada san.” 

“I know but it still hurts to be rejected,” Imada responded. “Tell me the truth. Is he really your boyfriend?”

Nino stayed silent for a while, debating on what he should answer. But, his silence gave away the answer Imada was looking for as she continued. “So, you’re lying. I thought so.” She didn’t seem to be angry, though. Instead of scolding him for lying, she only laughed at him. 

“He wasn’t my boyfriend yet at that time. But, today, we sort of declare our feelings for each other.” 

Imada looked thoughtful for a while before she smiled at him. As he looked at her carefully, he realized how beautiful she is. He had too many weaknesses and yet, Ohno chose him. He felt insecure, thinking that Ohno might regret choosing him over Imada. 

“Both of you look good together.” She remarked before standing up. Nino followed suit. "Please take good care of him and don't worry, I will not bother you anymore. Can we be friends?"

"Sure," Nino answered sincerely. A few minutes of talking with Imada made him think that maybe Imada wasn't as bad as he thought. "A quick question, though. How do you put the letter in my mailbox?"

He was suddenly reminded by the threatening letter he received on Saturday. After what happened today, he concluded that the letter wasn't a prank. Imada must have put it in his mailbox. But, how? He knew there were a few possibilities but he believed that the guard wouldn't let her enter the building without the access card. 

Imada, on the other hand, looked at him in confusion, as if he had horns on his head. 

"You put the letter in my mailbox, right?" He continued when Imada didn't answer him. 

"I don't know where your house is and I don't send any letters to you." She clarified. "Why? Did someone threaten you?" 

Nino shook his head. He tried to hide his surprise. It wasn’t Imada, so, who sent him the letter? "It's just a prank, maybe." He tried to ease his worry. 

She looked at him worriedly. 

"You shouldn't take this matter lightly." 

"Don't worry. I'll be okay." He quickly dismissed her. Unlike his friends, she didn't argue. She only stared at him for a few minutes before shrugging her shoulder. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


It felt weird to ring the bell for his own house. But, he had to do so because his keys are with Ohno. The guards let him enter the building, though, because they recognized him. 

"Nino!" Ohno greeted him with a big smile before leaning forward to hug him. "Why are you late? I'm very worried, you know!" 

"At least let me enter the house first, Ohchan." Nino playfully pushed Ohno. His newly acquired boyfriend pouted before he opened the door widely to let Nino enter his own house. Nino found the situation to be funny and he laughed because of that. 

"Why are you laughing?" Ohno tilted his head cutely after he locked the door. 

"Nothing." Nino shook his head. "It feels like you're the owner of the house and I'm the guest."

Ohno laughed together with him before he said something that surprised Nino.

"Mama said it's time for me to move out of the house. Do you need a roommate? I think this house is too big for one person." 

"If you're willing to share the loan, then it's fine with me."

"Is it expensive?" 

Nino only responded with a laugh. Ohno must be fooling around, as usual. There's no way Mrs Ohno will ask her beloved son to move out of the house. She's very doting on him, she wouldn't let Ohno out of her sight for a long time. However, he ceased laughing when he realized Ohno was staring at him as if he expected Nino to answer. 

"Wait… Are you serious?" Nino asked. "Mama wants you to move out of your house?" 

"No." Ohno shook his head. Nino sighed in relief. So, Ohno was just joking. "But, I want to move out." 

Nino narrowed his eyes as he stared at Ohno, trying to decide whether he was making a joke again. He seemed serious, which was a surprise for Nino. He didn't expect Ohno to leave his house. He is a mama's boy, even though he's almost thirty years old. Or… did he want to do this because of Nino?

"It has nothing to do with you," Ohno informed him as if he could read his mind. "Well, maybe it's partially because of you."

"What do you mean?" Nino asked even though he already had a guess. But, he wanted to hear it from Ohno. 

"Privacy. I want to be alone with you so that nobody will bother us." Ohno gave him a teasing look, which caused Nino's imagination to run wild. "Besides, I'm too old to stay with my parents. It's time for me to be independent."

"Have you told them about it?" 

Ohno nodded his head. "I also told them we're dating." 

If Nino was drinking water right now, he would definitely spit it out. He didn't expect Ohno would inform his parents about them this early. Ahh, how did they react? He was worried that they would hate him because of it. They indeed care about him but his worry is understandable, right? They might think he's not suitable for Ohno. He couldn't even give them grandchildren. 

“Relax,” Ohno said quickly, once again proving himself to be a mind reader. “They were happy when I told them about it. Did you forget? You’re their best son-in-law.” 

Nino only gave him a small smile in return. It didn’t convince him because it was a self-proclaimed title. 

“Let’s eat first and I will tell you everything,” Ohno said, pulling him to the dining table. He didn’t realize how starving he was until he saw two plates of hamburger steak on the table. Ohno noticed the hungry look he had and chuckled before pushing him to sit. 

“Did you make this?” He asked. He didn’t know Ohno could cook. The steak looked exactly like the one Mrs Ohno made for him. So, maybe Ohno had asked his mother to do so for him.

“Hey, that’s an insult.” Ohno pouted as he handed a glass of water to Nino. But, it seemed like he was trying to stifle his laugh so Nino knew he was just pretending to be offended. “I learn from Mama.” 

“Really?” He teased Ohno. 

“Yes.” Ohno pouted once again. “You can ask Mama if you don’t believe me.” 

"Okay, I believe you. Is it edible?"

"Hey!" Ohno looked at him with dissatisfaction. He only laughed in return before he took the first bite. He opened his eyes widely, surprised with how well made the steak was.

"Is this the first time you make it?" He asked. Ohno shook his head. 

"If you want to know, I failed when I made it before. This is the first time I made it perfectly. Maybe because I made it for my boyfriend." 

He lowered his face, not letting Ohno see him. He was pretty sure his face was red now and if Ohno saw him blushing, he would definitely tease him. 

"Sappy. I didn't say it's delicious." Nino mumbled. "So your parents are okay with us?"

"Yes. They know I've loved you and they support me. They're just a little angry because this should have happened a long time ago." Ohno told him. "They invite you for dinner this Saturday." 

"Hmmm… okay." Nino nodded his head. He didn't know how to respond actually. He still had a hard time believing everything went smoothly. Ohno confessed his love for him. Imada had given up on Ohno. Ohno's parents were okay with them being together. It felt surreal. How should he describe the feeling? Hmm… it's like every good thing that happened in his life now was to compensate for something terrible that will happen later. 

They continued to eat in silence. He was grateful that Ohno didn't ask him anything else. Sometimes it was hard to read Ohno's expression because he always looks sleepy. But, he could see that Ohno was restraining himself from asking what was bothering him. For that, he was thankful. 

Nino volunteered to do the dishes. Ohno had already prepared their dinner so it's only fair for him to do the dishes. However, Ohno disagreed with him and asked him to take a rest because Nino had been busy with work today. Well, he decided to follow Ohno's suggestion and headed to the living room.

After he finished with the dishes, Ohno took a seat next to him on the couch. He took Nino's hand in his and squeezed it. 

"What's wrong, Nino?" Ohno tilted his head as he looked at him with concern. Just like in his dream, Ohno lightly stroked his hand to comfort him. It didn't help, though. He was still insecure and he didn’t even know why. 

As he didn't say anything, Ohno slowly lifted Nino's face to look at him before he said with a soft voice. “Something is bothering you, right?” Nino only shook his head. However, Ohno didn’t buy it. “Are you afraid of something?”

“Hmmm…" He had been fighting the urge to talk with Ohno about his insecurity. However, the moment Ohno looked at him with understanding in his eyes, he lost control. "This feels like a dream. I’m afraid that when I wake up the next morning, all of this will disappear. You and I are just friends and not a couple like we are now.” He told Ohno about how insecure he was. It was even more embarrassing when he started to tell Ohno about the dream he had before. He thought Ohno will make fun of him because of the stupid dream but Ohno simply listened attentively to him. He pulled Nino closer to him. Nino put his head on Ohno’s chest as Ohno caressed him soothingly, making it easier for him to express his doubt. 

“I’m afraid that one day you will realize Imada san is a better choice than me. Perhaps you will leave me just like in my dream.” He didn’t realize he was whining. He lifted his face to look at Ohno, who quickly shook his head, denying what Nino had said. “Are you sure you love me?”   


He ended up asking the question that he had been dreading to ask. And now, he was afraid to hear the response. What if Ohno said he wasn’t sure? What should he do?

“Silly Kazu,” Ohno said, pinching his nose playfully before kissing the tip. “Of course, I love you!”

“Why?” 

“Hmmm….” Ohno didn’t answer him straight away. Instead, he looked at Nino thoughtfully. He seemed to be taking his time to answer and for Nino, every second that passed was torturing him. “Can I ask you the same question, then?”

Eh? He didn’t expect the response. What did Ohno mean by that? He looked at Ohno with a frown which made Ohno leaned forward and put a kiss on his lips. 

“Do you love me?” Ohno asked. Nino nodded his head. Ohno gave him a smile. “Why?”

Nino tilted his head, thinking of how to answer the question. To be honest, he didn’t know what to answer. He was afraid his answer would be inadequate and Ohno would realize it was not worth it to be with him.

"Just tell me, okay?" 

He didn't know what superpower Ohno had but he made it easier for Nino to be comfortable with him. That was one of the reasons he loves Ohno. 

"I love having you around. Even though you don’t really talk, your presence comforts me. " He looked at Ohno's expression, checking to see if Ohno thought of him as a sappy person. Ohno only smiled softly at him, gesturing for him to go on. “When I saw you with Imada san, it was… painful to watch. I’m not sure what it was at that time but now I know. It was jealousy." He laughed a little, not knowing why. “I was relieved to know there’s nothing between the two of you. When I knew what she had been doing to you, I was angry because she dared to claim you as hers. That’s what prompted me to declare you as my boyfriend. I cannot stand the thought of someone else as your lover.”

Once he started to talk, he found it easier to continue. But the next part was harder to explain. 

“I started to think about my feelings for you after our first kiss. For the first time since we met, I was… hmm… afraid to be alone with you. But, I don’t know why. Jun said everything that I do was because I’m in love with you. I was in denial so I ignored him. But… I think I had the dream because my subconscious was… hmmm... trying to tell me that... I cannot live without you… and… Jun was right… hmmm…. I love you.” He mumbled the last part. 

Okay, what did he just say? He quickly covered his face after he said that. It’s too embarrassing. He always made fun of his friends for being sappy and now he’s acting like one with Ohno. Ah, it’s too embarrassing!

“You’re so cute,” Ohno said. He could hear his boyfriend laughing before he took Nino’s hands away from his face. Nino didn’t try to stop him. They stared at each other and before he could blink, Ohno leaned forward and kissed him. He didn’t want to think of anything at all and just focused on kissing Ohno. 

“I love you too,” Ohno confessed as he slowly let go of Nino. “Since we met, I can’t see myself being with anyone else other than you. I don’t know how to describe the feeling It’s like… we complement each other. But, I’m too shy to confess. I mean… look at me… I’m almost thirty years old but I still live with my parents.” Nino laughed softly at this. This was another reason why he loves Ohno. He found it endearing how devoted Ohno was towards his parents. “I was surprised you want to befriend someone as weird as me. So, I couldn’t even imagine you could love me back.” Nino smiled as he looked at Ohno who seemed to be daydreaming as he talked. “Hey, do you want to know something?”

He gave Ohno a questioning look. As he tried to read Ohno's expression, there's something mischievous in Ohno's eyes. But, there's also something else. Guilt? Hmm… why would Ohno feel guilty?

"Remember our kiss in the car?" Ohno asked slowly. Nino nodded his head. At the same time, an idea started to form in his mind. He knew why Ohno felt guilty. 

"Did you trick me?" Nino quickly asked, pretending to be angry. Ohno gave him a sheepish smile before he continued. 

"Not really… I saw someone but it wasn't Imada. It was your colleague. I don't know her name. At that moment, I just thought that maybe you will change your mind about our fake dating situation. So, it's better to take advantage of it and kiss you."

"A simple kiss will be enough then. Why do you have to french kiss me?" Nino narrowed his eyes. 

"You respond so I should just enjoy the moment," Ohno answered with a teasing smile. "I don't regret it at all." 

Nino playfully pushed him. "Go and get me a glass of water. I'm thirsty." 

"Okay." Ohno gave him a kiss at the corner of his mouth before he stood up and went to the kitchen. Nino shook his head as he watched Ohno. Wow, he’s really dating his best friend. True, he was still worried about everything but he decided to just enjoy the moment with Ohno. He believes everything will be okay if both of them worked together to make this relationship work. 

“Here you go.” Ohno handed him a glass of water as he requested. “Kazu, was there an accident on your way home?”

Nino shook his head. 

“Then, why are you late? It took you an hour to get home after you texted me. Our office is only twenty minutes away.” 

Oh. Should he tell Ohno the truth? He didn’t want Ohno to be worried but their relationship has just started. So, he shouldn’t lie, right?

“I was with Imada san.” He told Ohno, whose eyes widened upon hearing it. But, he quickly continued before Ohno could say anything. “Listen first, okay. Nothing serious happens.” 

With a sigh, he told Ohno what happened after he sent the text message to Ohno. He began by telling Ohno that Imada had followed him to the car park and was ready to attack him with a knife. Ohno was enraged when he heard that. To be honest, he never saw Ohno that furious before. 

“You have nothing to worry about. See, I’m fine. We talked and she was… I think she already accepted that you don’t love her.”

“You believe her?” Ohno asked, clearly didn’t convinced by what Nino had told him.

“She looks sincere,” Nino answered. “I think she will not bother us anymore.” 

Ohno only sighed in return. He stayed quiet for a while and avoided looking at Nino. Ah, what should he do? Was lying about what happened earlier better for both of them? But, he didn’t want to lie to Ohno. 

“So, she knows we were lying,” Ohno said. 

Nino nodded his head. “But, she also knows that we’re in a relationship now.” 

“I think we still need to be careful.” Ohno continued. “I don’t know. I don’t think she can be trusted. It’s just my instinct.” 

“Okay, we will be careful. Don’t worry, okay?” Nino reassured his boyfriend. He contemplated whether he should tell Ohno that it wasn’t Imada who sent the threatening letter. But, maybe he shouldn’t. He didn’t want to make Ohno even more worried about him. Besides, he still thought of the letter as a prank. 

  
  
  
  
  


A month had passed since the day they confessed about their feelings. Ohno hadn’t officially moved out from his parents’ house despite staying most of the nights in Nino’s house. His reason? He was too lazy to pack his stuff.

Things were pretty much normal for them. As promised, Imada didn’t bother them. Nino almost forgot about the threatening letter until one day, he received a text message from an unknown number. 

_ You didn’t follow my advice.  _

_ Don’t blame me if something happens.  _

_ Hint: You will receive a present today.  _

And not long after he got the text, he received the news that Ohno was involved in an accident. There was another text message from the same number after that. 

_ Do you like my present? _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for making the confrontation between Nino and Imada to be too short. I have my own reason to have Imada change her mind. But, do you think she had accepted that Ohno didn't love her?  
> I hope I didn't make the story too draggy. Just a quick question, though. Who do you have in mind as the culprit who threatens Nino? Is it Imada and she just pretend to be clueless when Nino asks about the letter? Or someone else? Let me know what you think.


	5. Chapter 5

“Kazu, are you ready?” 

“In a minute,” Nino shouted. 

He had just finished showering. He’s going to the park with Ohno today for a barbeque with Jun, Sho and Aiba. The gathering was also to celebrate his first monthiversary with Ohno. He thought it was ridiculous to do so but he went along with the plan because he’s happy that everyone wants to celebrate them. 

Without knocking on the door, Ohno entered the room when Nino was putting on his shirt. Nino wasn’t surprised. Ohno had done that a few times since they decided to stay together. Sometimes, it led to something else. Something that he shouldn’t think about right now or else they will be late. 

“Has any of our friends arrived at the park?” Nino asked. Ohno shook his head. Nino checked his reflection in the mirror. His hair was a mess. 

“You look sexy with your bang down,” Ohno commented. Nino smiled sheepishly at Ohno. He had heard the same remark before but he will still be shy each time Ohno said it. 

Ohno lightly chuckled before he put a kiss on Nino's lips. Nino happily responded to the kiss. However, a phone call interrupted them. Nino reluctantly pushed Ohno before he went to answer the call. It's from Mr Maeda, his boss. 

"Hello, Maeda san." 

"Ninomiya, sorry for bothering you on Saturday." Mr Maeda apologized. "Remember the bookstore that we did maintenance for the website yesterday?" 

"Yes. Is everything okay?" 

"No.” His boss was distressed. “The website crashed. Can you please check it?" 

"Err…" Nino glanced at Ohno. He didn't know what to answer. Their friends had been preparing for today. If he didn't show up, they must be disappointed. But, his work is also important. 

As if sensing his dilemma, Ohno gave him a soft smile before mouthing 'It's okay.' Nino looked at him with guilt before giving his boss the confirmation. 

"I'm sorry, Ohchan." He quickly apologized after he ended the phone call with his boss. "I'll try to finish the work asap and then go to the park." 

“I’ll tell them that we’ll be late.” Ohno was about to text their friends but Nino stopped him. 

“You go first.” He told his boyfriend. “I don’t know how long this will take. It might take some time. You go there first, okay.” 

He could see that Ohno wanted to protest. But, he gave his boyfriend the best puppy eyes, causing Ohno to sigh in defeat. 

“Okay, I’ll go first,” Ohno said, kissing his forehead. But, it didn’t stop there. He started to peck all over Nino’s face and Nino giggled in response. 

“You should go now.” Nino pointed at the clock. “J will be angry if you’re late.” 

Ohno pouted before leaning closer to kiss him again. “Just one more kiss.” 

They kissed once again before Ohno left the house. Right after Ohno left, Nino switched on his laptop, ready to do his work. That’s when he received a text message from an unknown number. 

_ You didn’t follow my advice.  _

_ Don’t blame me if something happens.  _

_ Hint: You will receive a present today.  _

Eh? He was surprised when he received the text. Who sent him this? Maybe the sender wrongly texted to his number? Hmm… he couldn’t understand the text. Advice? A present? Maybe the message wasn’t for him. Well, let’s just ignore the text, then. He had work to do and rather than thinking about the text, he should focus on his work. Or else, he might miss the barbeque and his friends will be angry at him. 

As usual, when he’s working, he paid no attention to the surrounding until he settled his work. And this job seemed to take longer than he expected. As they had just performed maintenance for the website on Friday, he started by checking the code. Just like he predicted, the problem lied with the code. But… even though he had detected the problem, it took  _ forever _ to fix it. 

It took him almost two hours to finish the job. Once he finished, he called the client to inform them. He was just letting out a sigh of relief when his phone rang. It's from Sho. 

"I'll be there in 30 minutes, Sho chan." He said as soon as he answered the call. He bet Jun must be complaining because he hadn’t arrived yet. 

"Nino… Satoshi Kun…" 

"What happened to Ohchan?" Nino asked Sho. There's something about Sho's voice that made him worried.

"He was involved in an accident." 

What? Did he hear Sho correctly? 

"It wasn’t serious but we’re going to the hospital to make sure there’s no internal injury. I'll give you the location," Sho informed him. Nino mumbled an 'okay' before he ended the call. Truthfully, he couldn't think properly right now. Even though Sho had said it wasn’t serious, he was still worried. He wanted to confirm with his own eyes that Ohno was okay.

His phone beeped, signalling he had received a text message. Assuming it was from Sho, he quickly read it, only to be surprised with the content.

_ Do you like my present? _

He stared at the text for a while, frowning as he thought of what it meant. His eyes widened as he remembered the threatening letter he received a month ago. The letter and the message… were they from the same person? And now, Ohno was involved in an accident. Was this the  _ present _ the sender was talking about? Was it because he didn't take the letter seriously? Damn! Why did he ignore the letter? Because of his ignorance, Ohno had to suffer.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


“Where is Ohchan?” Nino asked when he spotted Aiba and Jun in the hallway. He didn’t realize how tired he was, not until he had stopped running. He had been running from the parking lot, trying to get to Ohno as soon as he can. Heck, he was even surprised that he could arrive in the hospital safely. He drove like a crazy person to get here. 

“In the room. The doctor is examining him.” Jun informed him, pointing to a nearby room. “How’s your work?”

“I finished it before Sho called,” Nino told his friend. “How is he?” 

There’s no denying he was very worried. It wasn’t only because Ohno is his boyfriend. No, he was worried because it’s his fault. If only he took the letter seriously. 

“He’s fine. It wasn’t serious but the doctor wants to make sure there’s no internal bleeding.” 

“What…” He wanted to ask his friends what happened to Ohno. However, he was distracted when he saw Sho’s talking to someone familiar at the end of the hallway. Eh? Isn’t that Nana? What is she doing here?

As if noticing he was looking at them, both Sho and Nana turned to look at him. Nana looked at him apologetically while Sho gesturing for him to come closer. He walked towards them with a frown. 

“I’m sorry, Ninomiya san.” Nana quickly said as he got closer to them. “It’s my fault. I didn’t look properly when I reverse my car and hit him.” 

Nino eyed her suspiciously. He thought of the text message he received earlier. The message was sent soon after he received the news about Ohno's accident. Was it a coincidence? No, it can't be! The sender had to know about the accident. And the sender could only know about it if she was responsible. So, it means… The text… was it from Nana? But, why would Nana do this? Why would she threaten him?

"Are you okay, Ninomiya san?" Nana asked softly. 

Nino quickly shook his head. He didn't realize he was staring at Nana. Hmmm… what should he do? He was tempted to ask if she sent him the letter and the message. She had been a good coworker so he didn't want to think badly of her. 

"Did you…"

"Kazu!" 

Nino was surprised when he heard Ohno's voice. He quickly turned around, smiling widely when he saw Ohno with a bandaged hand. Just like Jun said, Ohno didn't seem to be badly injured, which was a relief for Nino. He went to Ohno, trying his best to hug Ohno without hurting him. 

"I'm sorry to make you worried." Ohno apologized. 

Nino only shook his head. "Are you okay? Where do you feel pain?"

"My heart…" Ohno answered. Jun snorted when he heard what Ohno had said. "I miss you so much!" 

Ohno kissed his forehead, causing the other to look at them with fake disgust. At least, that's what Jun and Sho were doing. Aiba, on the other hand, cooed at them. 

"Stop encouraging them to be a pervert!" Jun said, smacking Aiba's head. "Ohchan, I know you love Nino but please avoid doing this kind of stuff in public. We have Oshima san here." 

Jun pointed at Nana, whose face was red. She shook her head while mumbling that she's fine. Ohno apologized to her but Nino rolled his eyes, noticing that he didn't seem to be sorry at all for his public display of affection. 

"I should be the one apologizing to you," Nana said. "The accident happened because I was careless"

"It's okay, Oshima san. It wasn't that serious. I am equally guilty." Ohno said while eyeing his bandaged hand. "Ah, this means that you have to feed me, Kazu." 

"Huh?" Nino frowned at Ohno. Ohno had indeed a bandaged hand. But, it wasn't the hand he used for eating. "Your right hand is okay." 

Ohno only pouted. Nino enjoyed teasing his boyfriend, something that he rarely got to do since they started dating. Usually, it’s Ohno who teased him. He pinched Ohno's chubby cheeks before he gave him a promise that he will feed Ohno. Ohno smiled widely while exclaiming loudly how much he loves Nino. Their friends scolded him for being too loud. 

Nana excused herself from them. Nino eyed her suspiciously as she walked away while thinking if she was indeed the person who sent him the weird text. From what he saw, Nana seemed to be sincerely sorry for what happened to Ohno. However, it seemed like she's hiding something. Ah, but he didn't know if he thought of her like that because he had assumed she was responsible for threatening him. 

"Kazu, why are you looking at her like that?" Ohno waved his uninjured hand in front of him. "You're making me jealous."

Nino looked at him in disbelief. His boyfriend is too dramatic sometimes. "Mission accomplished, then. I'm looking at her to make you jealous." 

He couldn't tell Ohno what he thought. He couldn't let Ohno know about the text. But, he needed to investigate the matter. Maybe he could ask Aiba, Sho or Jun about the accident later. Who knows if one of them saw something suspicious. 

"Ouch!" He yelped when Ohno kicked him. Ohno glared at him. A cute pout decorating his face. Ohno is so adorable when he's jealous. 

"I will punish you with my kiss when we get home," Ohno said.

"Oooohhh… I can't wait to be punished." 

"Okay, lovebirds. Let's get home." Sho said, stopping the two of them from flirting.

Ohno was advised to rest so all of them decided to go home. Jun had packed him with food from the barbeque. There's plenty of food he gave, enough to last until tomorrow. Good! He didn't have to think of what to eat for dinner later. 

"So, how did the accident happen?" Nino asked when both of them were alone in the car. 

"Hmmm..." Ohno answered. "I was with Aiba chan in the parking lot. He forgot to buy fruits so the two of us went to buy them. I stopped behind her car to tie my shoelaces. I heard Aiba screaming and then, I was lying on the ground. Oshima san's car was mere inches from me." 

"You should be more careful.” He scolded his boyfriend. “I don't want to lose you, Ohchan." 

Ohno looked at him with a smile before he took Nino's hand with his right hand and kissed it softly. "I will, my dear Kazu. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you worried.” 

It seemed like an accident but why did he have a bad feeling about it? Was it possible that Nana actually planned the accident? Why was Nana in the same park as his friends? Did she follow them or it's a coincidence? Was Nana in the car the whole time, simply waiting for the chance to hit Ohno or was it just an accident, as everyone had thought?

Ah, he should really sort out this mess as quickly as he can. He didn't want to doubt his trusted colleague. Should he give her a call later? Or he could just wait until Monday and talked to her during the break. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


It turned out, he didn't have to wait until Monday to talk with Nana. She called him after dinner that night. He was watching television with Ohno when she called. It’s scary, he thought, when he saw Nana’s name on the caller id. It seemed to confirm his thought or else, why would Nana call him on a weekend?

“Sorry, I have to take this call.” He excused himself from the living room and retreated to the bedroom, letting Ohno enjoying the documentary about sharks alone. 

“Hello.” He greeted her.

“Hello, Ninomiya san.” She answered. “Am I bothering you?” 

“Not really. I was watching a documentary about sharks with Ohchan.” He told Nana, glancing at Ohno who was in the living room. Ohno seemed to give his fullest attention to the documentary he was watching. "Thanks for saving me from watching the boring show." 

She responded with a laugh. However, the laughter didn’t sound natural. It’s weird to hear her forcing herself to laugh. Well, it’s indeed true that he didn’t really know her. They barely interacted outside of work. But, if he had to describe her… hmmm… he will say that she is an honest person, which is why he found it hard to think badly of her. However, now that he thought properly, it seemed like she wasn’t like her usual self recently. She seemed to be distracted. 

“How is Ohno san?” She asked. “Is he okay?”

“Yes, don’t worry. He’s okay.” He answered. As if he knew Nino was talking about him, Ohno turned to look at him. Nino gestured for him to continue watching the show. Ohno mouthed at him to be quick. Nino only responded with a nod. Ohno then gave his attention to the show once again. 

“Ah, it’s good to know, then.” She said. “I’m really sorry about what happened.” 

“It’s an accident” Nino responded. He wanted to test her, trying to see how she will react. “It didn’t happen because you want to hurt him, right?” 

There was silence. She didn’t respond immediately. He wished that she’s in front of him right now because he wants to see her expression. 

“I want to tell…” She finally said something after a few minutes of silence. However, she stopped abruptly, causing Nino to wonder if something happened at her end. 

“Nana, is everything okay?” He asked. 

“Yes…” Her voice quivered. “I have to go now. Tell Ohno san I’m sorry.” 

She ended the call before Nino could say anything, leaving Nino confused. What made Nino even more confused, Nana sent him a text after that. 

_ Pls, Ninomiya san. Pls, leave him. I don’t want you to get hurt. And, I don’t want to hurt him again.  _

Why did Nana send him this text? What did she mean?  _ She didn’t want to hurt him again? _ Did she somehow admit that what happened earlier wasn’t just an accident? 

He tried to call Nana, wanting her to give him an answer. However, the call failed, making him even more frustrated. 

Instead, he received a few messages from the unknown number again. The sender sent him a few pictures. He looked at the images sent, only to be surprised to see they were private pictures of him and Ohno. In every picture, the sender put a big cross on Ohno's face.

Okay, this is creepy. The sender was clearly a stalker. How long had she followed the two of them? The person obviously wanted him to leave Ohno. If not, Ohno will be hurt. What a coward stalker! She even used Nana to hurt Ohno. Why did the stalker have to include Nana to separate the two of them? Did she try to make Nino feel guilty for dragging an innocent person into this mess? But, it didn't make sense. Why would Nana obey the stalker? What did she have against Nana that made her comply? 

Not long after that, another text came from the same number. To be honest, he didn’t want to check but he couldn’t stop his stupid hand from viewing the message. This time, the sender wrote ‘Leave him’ repeatedly. 

“AHHHHH” He threw his phone on the bed. The words on the phone made him dizzy. Did the stalker harass Nana in the same way? That would explain why Nana agreed to do what she wants. Nana must have been trying to resist her for a long time and that’s why she didn’t seem like her usual self recently. But, she finally gave up and hurt Ohno as instructed by the stalker because she couldn’t take it anymore. Thinking of all this, it made Nino feel guilty for troubling Nana. The stalker is too much!

"Nino," Ohno called him gently. He was walking towards Nino with a frown. "Are you okay?" 

Nino only nodded his head without saying anything. He didn’t trust himself to talk. His head is a mess right now.

“Are you sure?” Ohno asked. He tried to touch Nino but Nino pushed him away. He didn’t want to talk to anyone right now. He wanted to be alone and thought of what he should do to sort this mess. “Who called you?” 

He shrugged his shoulder, refusing to answer Ohno. Then, without thinking properly, he muttered, “Let’s break up.” 

Yes, that would be the best solution. If he continued to be with Ohno, someone will hurt his boyfriend. If he broke up with Ohno, the stalker will stop bothering Nana. Yes, this is indeed the best solution. No one will be hurt if he ended his relationship with Ohno. Maybe Ohno will not be happy but it won’t be for long.

How about him? Well, of course, he will be unhappy too. A month living together with Ohno had been the best time of his life. He didn’t want to let him go. But, he had no choice. He will rather be unhappy than letting someone else harmed Ohno. He will protect him. If separating with Ohno will keep him safe, then Nino will be happy to do so. Furthermore, he didn’t want the stalker to bother Nana anymore. She’s an innocent person but the stupid stalker dragged her into this mess. This is the only way to make things right. He will do just like what the stalker wanted. He had ignored the threat once which caused Ohno to be involved in an accident today. If he ignored it again, who knows what the stalker will do next. 

“Okay,” Ohno said calmly. He didn’t seem to be shocked at all with Nino’s sudden request. Instead, it was Nino who was surprised to see how composed he was. “I don’t want to break up with you. But, I will leave you alone for a while. I don’t know what happened but I’ll wait until you calm down. Then, we will talk about this, okay.” 

Nino was too baffled by Ohno’s response. He stood still as he watched Ohno walked away from him. His boyfriend opened the door and he was brought back to reality when he heard the door closing. 

No, Ohno cannot go out alone. The stalker was watching them. If he goes out, the stalker will definitely hurt him. He should stop him from leaving the house. 

He quickly ran towards the door, hoping he could get to Ohno before he left the building. However, when he closed the door behind him, he heard a familiar chuckle. Ohno was standing next to the door, giving him his usual sleepy smile. Relieved to see Ohno was safe, Nino quickly hugged him. 

“What happened, Kazu?” 


	6. Chapter 6

“What happened, Kazu?” 

Hearing Ohno's soft voice made him realize what he was doing. Awkwardly, Nino stepped away from Ohno. However, Ohno grabbed him by the waist and hugged him tightly despite his injured hand. He wanted to push Ohno away but he felt warm and comfortable to be hugged by his boyfriend. So, he stayed still, inhaling Ohno’s sweet scent. It made him relaxed. Now that he had calmed down, he thought about what happened earlier. It was really stupid and selfish of him to suggest a break up with Ohno. They're in this relationship together. There must be something they could do to solve this problem. Letting the stalker get what she wants is not a solution.

“Kazu...”

“Hmmm…”

“Do you feel better?”

Nino ignored him. He just wanted to enjoy being in Ohno’s warm embrace. Maybe it’s dangerous for them to be outside. Who knows if the stalker was watching them right now? But, based on the photos he got from the stalker earlier, it seemed like all of the pictures were taken when they went out. There were pictures of them going on a date, going to a restaurant, in their office’s parking lot… eh? His eyes widened as he realized something. 

“Hey, lovebirds!” A familiar voice called them. Nino turned to look at Jun, who was walking towards them with Aiba and Sho behind him. “Why are you hugging each other in the hallway? If you want to do perverts stuff, get a room, please!” 

Nino stuck his tongue out at Jun. “What are you doing here?”

"We went drinking and then we decided to bother the two of you," Aiba explained. "What are you doing outside? Stargazing?" 

"Aiba chan, that's stupid." He rolled his eyes. How could Aiba think they were stargazing? It's impossible to do so in the hallway. His friend is so weird.

"So, what are you doing outside?" Sho asked as Aiba scratched his head and looked at him in confusion. It's typical for Aiba to not realize stupid things he had said.

"Nothing." Nino dismissed his friends. He invited them inside, pulling Ohno with him. Perfect timing for them to come to his house. He wanted to tell them about the stalker, knowing they could help him.

"You went out without switching off the television?" Sho said, glancing at the shark documentary on the television. "Who are you? Where is our Nino? Our Nino will never do something like this." 

"Hahaha… funny," Nino mockingly laughed at Sho and switched off the television.

"You will pay more this month." He gave his boyfriend a stern look. "This is your fault." 

Ohno shook his head. "Nah… it's your fault. You told me you want to break up. That's why I left the house in a hurry." 

"WHAT???" Jun, Aiba and Sho said in unison. 

"You want to break up with Ohno?" Sho said.

"That's impossible!" Aiba said.

"Are you kidding me?" Jun said.

Nino smiled, finding the situation to be quite similar to the time when Ohno announced they're dating. What was different this time was all of them were surprised to hear the news, unlike before when Jun wasn’t surprised to hear about their relationship. Looking at their expressions, it gave him an idea on what to do with the stalker. Maybe he could pretend to break up with Ohno this time while investigating the stalker. 

“Ohchan, you misunderstand what I told you,” Nino sighed. This was the perfect excuse to cover up his stupid suggestion to break up with Ohno earlier. “It’s just a fake break up. I don’t really want to break up with you.” 

Ohno didn’t say anything. He only smirked at Nino to show that he knew Nino was lying. 

“But why do you want to do that?” Aiba asked. 

Nino didn’t immediately answer him. He asked his friends to sit while he went to his room to retrieve his phone. He had left the phone when he went after Ohno just now. He checked the phone for new messages from the stalker but she didn’t send him anything. 

“Okay…” Nino took a deep breath as he took a seat next to Ohno on the couch. Ohno took his hand and squeeze it gently, giving him the strength he needed. His friends were impatient, asking him to tell them what’s going on. “Remember the letter I received a month ago?” 

All of them nodded their heads. Nino then handed his phone to Ohno first to let him see the message. Ohno remained calm as he read the messages from the stalker. He didn’t say anything as he passed the phone to Aiba who sat next to him. However, Nino knew he was furious. The way he huffed his breath was enough to prove that. 

He stayed silent as he watched the rest of his friend read the messages from the stalker. Aiba passed the phone to Jun and after Jun finished, the phone was passed to Sho. To be honest, he was worried about how Sho will react. He will definitely nag Nino for ignoring his warning earlier. 

“That’s why… “ Sho began but Nino quickly stopped him. 

“I know. I’m sorry for not taking the letter seriously.” Nino said. He looked at Ohno as he apologized. It was his fault Ohno was involved in an accident today. It wasn’t serious but still, he could prevent it from happening if he was more careful. 

“You don’t have to scold him, Sho chan. It already happened.” Ohno said. His voice might sound normal but Nino knew how much anger he tried to suppress. He wondered who he was angry at. Was he angry at Nino or the stalker? However, perhaps sensing his worry, Ohno squeezed his hand and smiled softly at him. Nino was relieved to see that. Ohno wasn’t angry at him for deciding to solve this problem on his own. 

“So, the present was actually Ohno’s accident?” Jun asked. “That means Oshima san is the stalker, right? She purposely hit Ohchan! You should report her to the police.” 

Nino quickly shook his head, feeling sorry that Nana was thought to be the culprit as she was the one who hit Ohno. “Yes, it wasn’t an accident but she was pressured to do so. The real stalker threatened her.” 

Everyone looked at him confusedly. He then quickly explained about the phone call he had with Nana and showed them the message he received from her which was sent to beg him to leave Ohno. To back up his explanation, he told them how distressed Nana was for the past few weeks because of the threats from the real stalker. 

"This person is sick!" Jun exclaimed once Nino had done talking. "How could she use guilt to separate you and Ohchan?" 

"And it's a weird way to make you feel guilty," Ohno mumbled. Nino, Aiba and Jun stared at him who appeared to be in his thoughts. They frowned when Sho nodded his head as if he understood what Ohno was talking about.

"What do you mean?" Nino asked when neither Ohno nor Sho explained. 

"Making you feel guilty for ignoring the letter and indirectly causing Satoshi to be in an accident was enough, right? It feels weird…" 

"... to include Oshima san to make you feel guilty." Ohno finished the explanation. Sho nodded his head. 

"Maybe she didn't want to get her own hands dirty?" Nino offered his opinion on the matter. 

“Well, instead of threatening Oshima san, she could hire someone else. Someone who could do the job, not that I want it to happen to Satoshi Kun,” Sho looked at Ohno apologetically while Ohno shrugged in response. “I want to know her endgame. What she wants actually. Involving Oshima san in this seems weird to me. Was it simply to make you feel guilty? I don’t know why but it seems that she has an ulterior motive to drag Oshima san.” 

Nino rubbed his chin, thinking. Now that Sho had said it, he also wondered what the stalker wants. Was it to separate them? If she wants to separate them, it must be because she’s in love with one of them. And based on what happened now, the person seemed to be obsessed with him. Thinking of Imada who tried to hurt him when he began dating Ohno, this person also did the same. But, she was using someone else, unlike Imada who tried to do it herself even though it wasn’t successful. Imada’s conscience saved her from hurting him. How about this stalker then? Why did it take her a month to attack Ohno? Was it because Nana didn’t want to obey her? Then, why didn’t she use someone else? Why Nana?

“Do you have any idea who this stalker might be?” Jun asked, pulling him out of his thought. Nino shook his head. No, he cannot think of anyone who might have a crush on him. 

"It could be someone who works in the same building with us," Nino said, remembering the pictures that she sent him. "There's a picture of us in the rooftop. Come to think of it, there's someone on the roof when we went there but we didn't see who she was." 

“How about the person who was interested in Ohchan? You know, the girl who made you declare Ohchan as your boyfriend.” Aiba suggested. Nino quickly shook his head while Ohno explained. It was true Ohno was wary of Imada initially, suspecting she was lying about accepting their relationship. But, Imada was interested with another guy now. 

“She stopped bothering me after she attacked Nino in the parking lot. They talked and Imada had accepted that I didn’t love her. I thought she was lying at first but now, I believe her. There’s a new guy in our office and Imada likes him. She’s totally in love with him. Thankfully, he also likes her.” 

"She's quick to move on," Jun commented. "But, why didn't you tell us about the attack?" 

Nino didn't answer him. He simply thought it was unnecessary to tell them because he had solved the problem. 

"Kazu…" Ohno called him softly. "Let's ask the guards if they saw anyone suspicious near the building." 

"Good idea!" Sho agreed. "Maybe they know who put the threatening letter in your mailbox. We will go and ask." 

Sho signalled Aiba and Jun to follow him. Both of them followed without protest. Nino was glad for that. He knew he could depend on his friends to help him. He snuggled closer to Ohno, enjoying the warmth from his boyfriend. 

"Kazu, I want to ask you something but please… don't think of me as a jealous boyfriend," Ohno said. Nino frowned, looking at his cute boyfriend. What did Ohno mean by that? Jealous? Ohno didn't really show his expression but he never thought Ohno could be jealous of someone else. 

"What is it?" 

"Why do you call Oshima san by her first name but you rarely call me Satoshi?" 

"Ah…" Nino blinked his eyes. He totally didn't expect this question. He didn't expect Ohno will be jealous because of this. "... because it's easier. Ohchan and Nana are easier to say than Satoshi and Oshima." 

Was it enough to explain it like that? But, seriously, there's no other reason for that. 

"Oh…" 

Suddenly it became awkward between the two of them. Ohno avoided looking at him. 

"Are you jealous of Nana?" He asked when Ohno remained silent. Ohno didn't answer him but his face was red and it was enough as an answer. Ohno was too cute, he thought. Shamelessly, he put a kiss on Ohno's lips.

"A punishment for thinking that I could love someone else other than you." 

He smiled at Ohno. No wonder his boyfriend will be extra clingy whenever Nana was around. He wasn’t embarrassed to display his affection towards Nino in the hospital earlier. Hmm… come to think of it, perhaps it was Nana that he saw in the parking lot when it was the first time they kissed. 

"I love you,  _ Satoshi _ . Only you. So don't be jealous of Oshima san, okay?" He emphasized the way he called Ohno's name, feeling the need to reassure Ohno. It felt weird to do so because it was always Ohno who shamelessly declared his love for Nino. He was glad Ohno talked to him about this. It reminded him that Ohno will feel insecure too, just like him. 

In the blink of an eye, He was pushed to lie on his back with Ohno on top of him. Ohno smiled shyly before proceeding to kiss him. It was slow and steady.

"Say my name again," Ohno whispered in his ear. He sounded so sexy.

"Satoshi." Nino happily obliged. 

The next thing he knew, they were exploring each other's mouth. He could feel Ohno's hand trying to slowly remove his shirt. However, before they could do anything, they heard someone coughing behind them. 

"Damn it!" Ohno cursed as he reluctantly pulled himself away from Nino. 

"Remind me not to sit on the couch," Jun said, pointing at the couch they were sitting on. As usual, Nino only stuck his tongue out whenever Jun commented on his relationship with Ohno. 

“Did you get anything?” 

The three of them shook their heads. 

“The guards didn’t know anything and of course, there’s no one suspicious,” Sho explained. “But, maybe it’s because they didn’t do their job properly. Don’t worry, I’ll ask my friend to investigate this matter. He’s a police detective.” 

A small part of him wanted to argue with his friends, telling them there's no need to involve the police in this matter. But, he knew it's better to let them investigate this case. He didn't want to hurt anyone else. 

"By the way, have you tried to call the number?" Sho asked. 

Nino shook his head. Would the stalker answer his call? He didn't think so. But, maybe he could try calling from his friend's phone.

"Try to call her on your phone." He told his friends. Sho nodded his head as Nino recited the number aloud. All of them stayed silent, waiting for the call to be answered. However, Sho shook his head after a while. 

"No answer," Sho told them. Nino sighed in response. He had expected that. Still, it's worth trying.

"Shall we try to call her using my number?" Aiba asked, ready to dial the stalker's number. However, Sho shook his head. 

"She will know something is wrong if another unknown number calls her." 

"So, what should we do?" Nino asked. "Should we pretend to break up?" 

"Nah…" Ohno said. "We should do the opposite. We should do more PDA." 

Nino tilted his head as he stared at his boyfriend, trying to understand what he had said. If they were more affectionate in public, the stalker will be annoyed, right? Who knows what she will do if she's annoyed? 

Ah, but she will be surprised if things didn’t go as what she wanted. She blackmailed Nino and Nana, hoping to separate Nino and Ohno. However, if Nino and Ohno continued to be together and be even more affectionate towards each other despite her threats, she will be flustered and less sensible to think carefully. She might do something stupid and they could flush her out. 

“You’re a genius, Satoshi!” Nino said, hugging Ohno even tighter. Ah, he can finally see the way out of this mess. It’s truly a good idea to talk about this with Ohno and his friends. 

“That’s a good idea.” Sho agreed. Jun nodded his head while Aiba looked at them in confusion. “But, you have to be careful. Don’t do anything reckless.” 

“Eh? Why? I don’t understand!” Aiba whined. “Please explain it to me.” 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


“You’re late today, Nino!” Ikuta greeted him when he arrived at work on Monday. Technically, he wasn’t late because it’s 5 minutes before office hour began. But, as he usually arrives 20 minutes before work, Ikuta said he was late. He had a reason to be late today. “But, I saw your car when I arrive. Did you do naughty things with Ohchan in the car?” 

Ikuta teased him. Nino didn’t answer him, only blushed slightly. Seeing his reaction, Ikuta got bolder in teasing him. That’s what he wanted. By teasing him and Ohno, Ikuta had indirectly announced to the stalker that Nino didn’t care about her threat. Hopefully, the stalker will react as what they had predicted. 

"Shut up!" He pushed Ikuta away and then went to his own desk. He looked around, trying to see if anyone in his office acted weirdly. But, no one, in particular, seemed to care about what Ikuta said earlier. Nana was the only one who seemed confused but it's understandable. Well, this was expected. He didn’t think the stalker will reveal herself so soon. 

His phone beeped, signalling he had received a new message. But, he knew it wasn't from the stalker as he had blocked her. Instead, it was from Ohno, asking if he spotted anyone suspicious. Nino told him there was none. Ohno replied with a heart sticker. 

"Aww… texting your beloved boyfriend, Nino? You guys are so romantic!" Ikuta continued to tease him when Nino smiled looking at his phone. Nino lifted his face and glared at him. "Okay, I will stop bothering you." 

Well, at least Ikuta reacted as what he wanted. And Nino also tried to respond as he always did whenever Ikuta bothered him so that the stalker would fall for his trap. He glanced once again around the office but seeing that nobody was suspicious, he began his work. However, before he could even start, Nana put a document on his desk.

"Ninomiya san, this is the file that you want," Nana informed him. Nino frowned at first, knowing that he hadn't requested anything from Nana. He flipped the document that she gave and realized it was empty. Nana looked at him anxiously before she said in a very low voice. "You're still with Ohno san?" 

Nino only nodded his head. Nana looked at him confusedly. 

"But…" Nana was distraught so Nino reached out to touch her hand, hoping to comfort her. It was understandable. She must be worried that the stalker will continue to harass her if Nino and Ohno are still together. But, Nino had promised himself to protect her no matter what. 

"Don't worry. We'll be fine. I'll protect you." Nino said, trying to keep his voice low. He didn't want anyone to hear them. 

Nana, however, pushed his hand away, much to his surprise. Nana closed her eyes. She sighed loudly and opened her eyes once again. But, something was different this time. She didn't seem like the usual sweet Nana that he knew. She was angry. This was the first time he saw her like this. Her eyes… there was no warmth in it, only hatred and fury. To be honest, he was scared of her.

"Nana…" 

"I don't want you to protect me!" Nana yelled. Everyone turned to look at them, completely dumbfounded to hear her screaming. Just like Nino, they were at a loss of words for Nana's sudden transformation. "I want you to love me!" 

Eh? 

"I've loved you for a _ long  _ time. I work hard so that I can be someone irreplaceable for you. I try to befriend you outside of work but you always turn me down. Even when I ask you out for lunch, you always reject me. But, it's okay. As long as you treat me nicely, I know there will be a chance for us to be together." 

Nino was beyond shocked. He never expected Nana to love him. 

"But you ended up dating that stupid sleepy man. Do you know how heartbroken I was when I hear you declare him as your boyfriend and see both of you kissing? I cannot think clearly at that time. I want to make you mine. That's why I put the threatening letter in your mailbox. I hope you will be scared and dump that stupid man!" 

The letter was from Nana? She’s the real stalker? Then, it meant… wait… Did she pretend to be harassed? 

"And the next day I met you in the cafe. Do you still remember that day? You told me there's nothing between you and him. It was just a ruse. I was happy… there's still a chance for me, after all…" 

"But… you started to date him for real." Nana started to sob. Nino felt sorry to see her like this. No one else did anything, though. Maybe because they don't know what to do. They simply listened. "I saw both of you on the rooftop, declaring your love for each other. At that time, I hope the bitch who loves the stupid man will destroy your relationship. I’ll be there to heal your wound if you break up with him. But, she gave up and I cannot accept that. So, I decided to separate the two of you on my own." 

"I acted like a victim. I make you think that someone was threatening me. I want you to feel worried for me. If you're worried, there's a chance you will realize that it's me you love, not Ohno. But… you still want to be with him. Why?" 

Nino didn't answer. 

"Leave him, please! Be with me!" She pleaded. 

"I can't. I don't love you. You will not be happy if you force me to be with you." 

"Then, you leave me with no choice." She took a pair of scissors on his desk. "If I can't I have you, then no else can." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope it wasn't weird. When I had the idea for this story, I already decided to make Nana as the stalker. It may seem like Imada was quick to move on and my reason for that is, what she felt for Ohno was just infatuation. Nana, on the other hand, had been in love in with Nino for a while and that's why it's harder for her to move on.  
> Anyway, I don't think something bad will happen to Nino. There are other people in the office. Maybe Toma will be the hero and save him. LOL.


	7. Chapter 7

“Put it down, Oshima san,” 

Ohno said as he walked towards her. He was surprised when Toma suddenly texted him, telling him that Nino was in danger. Ohno informed his boss that he had an emergency and immediately left to ensure Nino’s safety. Thankfully one of Nino’s colleagues had just arrived and she let him into the office. 

What he saw when he entered the office worried him. Oshima took a pair of scissors on Nino’s table and she directed it towards Nino as if she wanted to stab him. He tried to think, trying to make sense of what he saw. Oshima was always kind to Nino. Why would she do this to him? 

And then something clicked in his mind! There’s only one reason for this. Oshima was the stalker who threatened Nino. To be honest, he wasn’t surprised to know that. In fact, he had suspected she was faking the whole thing about being threatened by another person. But he didn’t have any proof so he cannot tell his friends about it. He didn’t expect she would blow her cover this soon. She must be furious at them for ignoring her threats to finally snap like this. 

“Oh…” Oshima turned around to face him. As she moved, Ohno had a chance to glance at Nino. His boyfriend seemed startled to see him. “The hero is finally here!” 

“Put it down, Oshima san,” He said again, softer this time. He wanted to move closer and take away the scissor from her. But, she was too close to Nino. One wrong move and she might hurt Nino. He knew Nino could protect himself but he didn't want to take any chances. So, Ohno decided to distract her and hopefully, Nino will take the chance to move away from her. “This is not what you want.” 

"Do you even know what I want?" She laughed mockingly. “What I want is your boyfriend! Will you give him to me?” 

He shook his head. It's obvious Oshima had been in love with Nino for a while. He had always known that. In fact, he thought the feeling was mutual between the two of them. It's one of the reasons he didn't want to confess to Nino, in the first place. Oshima seemed to suit Nino better than him. 

However, knowing that Nino loves him too… no, there's no way he's going to let Nino go for her. He's not going to give up. He will fight to keep Nino by his side. The only reason he will leave Nino is if Nino himself wants to do that. Out of his own free will. Not because someone threatened Nino to do so, just like what Oshima did. 

"Leave him!" Oshima yelled. "If you don't break up with him, I will kill him. If I don't get him…"

"Don't you realize?" He yelled back at her. She was shocked because of it. "He will not go to you even if I leave him. He doesn't love you."

"NO!" She screamed while stomping her feet repeatedly on the floor. She looked like a crazy person as she ruffled her hair, causing it to be messy. "He loves me. He didn't even enjoy spending time with you. He complained about how you made him watching the shark documentary. Why do you make him do something he hates? Ninomiya san, if you date me…" 

She turned her attention to Nino, who was trying to move away from her. Her eyes widened as she realized what Nino was up to.

"AHHH," She screamed as she charged towards Nino. Ohno quickly went after her. He didn't want anything to happen to Nino. However, he was too far from her and wasn't quick enough to stop her from...

Everyone gasped when Toma suddenly appeared, shielding Nino from her. So, instead of stabbing Nino, Toma was the one to receive the blow. Ohno didn’t know if he should be grateful but, well, he was relieved to see Toma was only stabbed in his arm, thanks to his intervention.

There was silence as everyone trying to process what had happened. Oshima moved backwards as if she didn't believe what she had done. A few people around her who had recovered from the shock of seeing Toma being stabbed quickly grabbed her before she could do anything else. Ohno ignored them and quickly went to Nino to make sure he’s okay.

"Blood!" Toma yelled before Ohno could say anything to Nino. "I'm bleeding!" 

Both Ohno and Nino smiled as they reluctantly let go of each other. Ohno was thankful that Toma was there to protect Nino from being harmed. He checked the wound while Nino took the first aid kit. The wound didn't appear to be deep but they still had to bring him to a doctor.

"Geez…" Oshima clicked her tongue in annoyance as she tried to break free from a big guy who was holding her. "Stop being a baby. It wasn't that bad and it's your fault for trying to stop me. Just let me…"

"Kill Nino? Are you mad?" Toma yelled at her. Nino had to calm him as he tried to stand. "Are you sure you love Nino? If you love him, you will let him be happy with the person he loves, not trying to destroy his relationship." 

"He doesn't love Ohno… he loves me!" Oshima retorted. 

"Bullshit!" Toma glared at her, causing her to be speechless. It's the first time Ohno saw Toma like this. It's totally different from his usual self. "Everyone knows Nino loves Ohchan, long before Nino himself knows about it." Ohno glanced at Nino, noticing how he lowered his face, trying to avoid eye contact with anyone else. Nino's face was red, showing how embarrassed he was as Toma started to talk about them. "You're delusional, you know. You commit a crime because of unrequited love. It’s too childish! I'm going to make sure you get the punishment you deserve for trying to destroy my favourite couple." 

As if on cue, a second after Toma said that, a couple of police officers came into the office and one of them carried Oshima away after Mr Maeda, Nino’s boss, explained the situation. He didn't know who called the police but he was thankful that Toma and the others had helped them. 

“I love you… I love you… Please don’t let them take me… We should be together... We're meant to be.” Oshima kept muttering as she went away, looking straight at Nino. The way Nino stared at her retreating figure made Ohno worried. Perhaps Nino was blaming himself for what happened. If it’s true, Ohno had to do something to stop him from feeling guilty. It wasn’t Nino’s fault. It’s Oshima’s fault. So, there’s no need for Nino to feel sorry for her. 

One of the officers approached them, asking about the incidents. Ohno took the chance to tell him about the threats Nino had received from Oshima. He was relieved to see Nino acted like his usual self as he talked to the officer and readily cooperated with him by showing the texts to the officer. But, it wasn’t enough to convince Ohno that he was okay with everything that happened today. After all, Nino is good at pretending to be okay. 

“Thanks… ” Nino told Toma after he was done giving his statement to the police. “... and, I’m sorry that you got hurt trying to protect me.” 

“This?” Toma pointed to his wound. “It isn’t as bad as it looks so you don’t have to feel bad. Besides, Jun has told me about the threats and he entrusted me to protect you. So, I’m ready to put my life on the line just to make sure my ship is sailing smoothly.” 

Ohno could only shake his head as Nino rolled his eyes because of Toma’s overdramatic response. Nino then offered to bring Toma to see a doctor but the playful guy refused by telling them that another colleague will bring him to a clinic. Instead, he asked both of them to go home and rest. Ohno was thankful for that. Nino needed the rest. However, Nino refused so Toma called Mr Maeda, who told Nino to do the same thing. 

“But… I have work to do.” Nino told his boss. 

“Just go home and rest, Ninomiya.” Mr Maeda told him sternly. “You need it.” 

Nino seemed to swallow whatever argument he wanted to tell his boss. The only thing he could do was pouting. Right on time, Nagase texted Ohno. He seemed to know what happened as he told Ohno to go home with Nino. Ohno didn’t argue with Nagase, feeling grateful that his boss had allowed him to take a rest. So, after taking his stuff in the office, both he and Nino headed home. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


“Are you okay, Kazu?” 

Nino was startled when Ohno came from behind him and hugged his waist. He was alone on the balcony, staring at the view for no particular reason. Maybe he was thinking but he didn't know what he was thinking about. Weird, he wasn't always like this. It was Ohno who always daydreamed, not him. Did they somehow switch bodies and he wasn't aware of it? Okay, that's ridiculous. Maybe he was affected by Aiba's weird way of thinking right now. 

They had been home for -Nino glanced at the clock- almost an hour. On their way home, they barely talked with each other. Aiba, Sho and Jun had been calling them asking if they’re okay, knowing about what happened from Ikuta. He talked to each of them for five minutes and by the time the call ended, they had arrived home. Ohno asked him to rest while he prepared lunch for both of them. He simply complied. 

“I’m just thinking about what happened today. Is it my fault?” Nino brought the two of them to lie down on the bed. He put his head on Ohno’s chest. Listening to Ohno’s heartbeat always helped to clear his head. “Maybe I lead her on, make her think that I love her.” 

“Nino, you're just nice to her, just like how you are to other people. She’s the one who misinterprets it as love. You’re not at fault because you cannot control how someone will feel for you.” 

Nino nodded his head, agreeing. Ohno always knew how to comfort him. 

“Besides… hmmm… how do I explain this?” Ohno stayed silent for a while, perhaps thinking of what to say. Nino tilted his head upward to look at him. Noticing what he was doing, Ohno chuckled as he raised both of them to sit on the bed. 

“Don’t look at me like that. You make me forget what I want to tell you,” Ohno muttered. He held Nino's chin gently before leaning in for a quick kiss. “You’re so cute, I cannot stop myself from kissing you.”

“Liar…” Nino snorted. “If you want to kiss me, just tell me. There’s no need to make a stupid excuse like that.” 

Ohno only grinned like an idiot as a response. “Anyway, back to what we’re talking about before.” Ohno took a deep breath before he continued. “As you have known, I used to think that maybe you like her. But… well… looking back at the way you treated her… it’s obvious you think of her as a co-worker only. I mean… hmmm… you never really went out with her in private. Not even during lunch. Sorry for saying this, but Toma was right. She’s delusional.” 

_ Delusional. _

When he heard the word, he couldn’t help but feel sorry for Nana. He wondered how this incident would affect her future. It wasn’t her career that he was worried about. It’s her mental state. He remembered the look on her face as the police dragged her away from the office earlier. She seemed… lost. 

“Do you think she will go insane?” He couldn’t help but ask Ohno the things that had bothered him the most. Ohno only gave him a small smile before he answered. 

“Maybe… but please don’t blame yourself for it.” 

Nino didn't answer him. But, he knew Ohno was right. It wasn't his fault. 

He suddenly thought of Imada. Would things be different if, instead of keeping her feelings inside, she was more vocal about it, just like Imada? There’s no doubt that Nino would reject her too but at least it will save her from thinking or imagining a possibility of them being together. 

But, maybe nothing will change. It's hard to convince some people to accept the truth.

"It's not your fault," Ohno said as he remained silent. He lifted Nino's chin to make Nino look straight at him. 

"Don't worry, I will not blame myself."

He assured his boyfriend with a genuine smile. After talking with Ohno about this, he felt better. He didn't feel guilty, at least not as much as before, for what happened to Nana. As Ohno had said, he cannot control someone's feelings. However, he did feel guilty of something else. He felt guilty for making Ohno worried. "I'm hungry. Let's eat! What do you cook for lunch?" 

Ohno stared at him, perhaps thinking whether he was just pretending to be okay. 

"Your favourite hamburger steak." Ohno finally answered after a few minutes of staring at him. "Let's eat and then we can cuddle." His boyfriend stopped to look at the clock before he continued. "We have a few hours before they come." 

"Who?" He asked even though he could guess who they were. 

"Those three, of course. They will come to visit after work. They want to make sure you're okay." 

Right on cue, an idea popped out in his mind. 

"Let's ignore them when they come. Put our phone on silent mode and switch off the doorbell." 

Ohno tilted his head, contemplating his idea. 

"Kazu is so naughty," Ohno pinched his cheek. "I'll just tell them we're busy with our activity and if they still want to come, don't blame us if they see something inappropriate." 

Ohno smirked at him. And he only nodded as he lay down on the bed with Ohno on top of him. He had a feeling that they might eat the steak for dinner, instead of lunch. After everything that had happened, he needed to spend time alone with Ohno without anyone interrupting them.

  
  


********

"I thought you guys are going to OhMiya's house." 

Jun turned around when Toma tapped his shoulder. He was in the bar, hanging out with both Sho and Aiba. Initially, he wanted to go to Nino's house to ensure his friend was okay. However, Ohno told the three of them not to come because he will be busy doing some stuff with Nino. Knowing them, he decided to follow the advice. 

"Nope!" He answered. "They will be doing some nasty stuff and I don't want to see that." 

Jun rolled his eyes when he noticed how Toma's eyes were beaming with happiness because of what he said. Man, his friend is a pervert! How did they become friends?

"Wow!" Toma said excitedly. "This is a good opportunity. Let's…" 

"NO!" Jun and Sho said together. Aiba, on the other hand, seemed to be persuaded with Toma's suggestion. 

"You guys are so boring!" Toma said. "Aiba chan, why don't we go? You have the key to Nino's house, right?" 

Aiba nodded his head. 

"Fantastic!" Toma bumped his fist with Aiba. "Let's go!"

Toma and Aiba eagerly left the bar without wasting any more time. Once they left, both Jun and Sho glanced at each other. They decided to ignore the two perverts. If they want to go, let them. But, deep down, he hoped that they would be  _ severely punished _ by Nino for disturbing his private time with Ohno. 

And, he was happy when Toma texted him before he went to bed that night. 

_ I learned my lesson. I will not bother those two in their private time anymore. Ohchan is too scary when he's angry. _

Serves them right! He thought Nino would be the one to punish them. But it's Ohno! Ohno must have unleashed his inner maou. It was enough to make both Aiba and Toma to be traumatized. 

  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hate writing ending because I'm not good in concluding the story. I hope this is okay. I didn't really conclude what happened to Nana but I will just say she will not bother OhMiya anymore. If she tried to bother them, a lot of people will protect them. As for what Toma & Aiba saw when they visit OhMiya and what Ohno did to them, I leave it to your imagination. I'm sorry for making Toma a pervert in this. I don't even know why I did that.


End file.
